


(Like we did) when we were children

by Daughter_of_the_TARDIS



Series: Strange Families [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Assassins Guild, BAMF Darcy Lewis, BAMF Remy LeBeau, Childhood, Childhood Friends, Childhood Sweethearts, Darcy Lewis is the fandom bicycle and I love it, Darcy Lewis-centric, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Growing Up Together, Hoodoo, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Lovers To Enemies, Magic, Mutant Darcy Lewis, Mutant Politics, New Orleans, Parenthood, Poorly written Cajun accent, Pre-Canon, Prince of Thieves Remy LeBeau, Prophecy, Protective Remy LeBeau, Rare Pairings, Romance, Scientist Wrangler Darcy Lewis, Secret Marriage, Secret Relationship, Team as Family, Thieves Guild, Unplanned Pregnancy, Xavier Institute, not voodoo, then back to lovers again, there's a difference
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 63,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS/pseuds/Daughter_of_the_TARDIS
Summary: They had known each other since they were children, learning together and causing more than their fair share of mischief for two children who were raised in the Thieves' Guild.  Remy was the Prince - the knight in shining armor.  Darcy wasl'ange noir- the healer hiding in the shadows.Their story would be told for centuries.Or, the one where Darcy Lewis is a Thief.
Relationships: Belladonna Boudreaux & Darcy Lewis, Belladonna Boudreaux/Remy LeBeau, Darcy Lewis & Tony Stark, Henri LeBeau & Darcy Lewis, Henri LeBeau & Remy LeBeau, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Remy LeBeau/Darcy Lewis
Series: Strange Families [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1035860
Comments: 147
Kudos: 269





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pure_ninja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pure_ninja/gifts).



> Okay.
> 
> So. I'm back on the Darcy/Remy stuff. But it's okay - this isn't a continuation. 
> 
> Basically, a long time ago, pure_ninja and I were talking about Darcy/Remy. She helped me come up with the idea for Queen of Hearts - where they meet at the Xavier Institute and go on from there. But then she pitched another idea at me. One where Darcy Lewis and Remy LeBeau were childhood sweethearts. ANd I basically went 'screw it, I'll write both.' Now I've been working on this one for years - its the longest thing that I've ever written and its nowhere near finished yet. But I love it - the strange cast of characters and melding of universes is so fun for me.

In the parrish of New Orleans, deep in the heart of the Louisiana Bayou, a hidden war was taking place. Thieves and Assassins fought each other day in and day out, each one wanting to end up as the victor. Neither group imagined that in a little over twenty years, their two hundred year feud would be over. For now, it was still going - strikes and counterattacks, the two groups fighting in a way that could never be traced back to either of them. It was a cold war, with neither side ever actually gaining the upper hand. Each side had their own contracts, their own deals to be made. And while there was technically a peace treaty in place between the leaders of the two Guilds, that did nothing to stop those lower in the ranks from spiting each other as much as they could. Nothing outright lethal - not yet. But if things were left to continue the way they were going, it would turn that way.

In the heart of the French Quarter, Mattie Baptiste opened her eyes, waking up from her trance as a small smile curved across her lips. A strange thing was coming to her city - she had Seen it. _L'ange noir_ and _le diable blanc_ \- destined for great things as long as their paths stayed true. They would either end up as best friends or bitter enemies, there was no middle ground. One path would lead to destruction and ruin, the other peace and salvation.

It all depended on the hands they were dealt, and the cards that they played. Luckily, Mattie had always been good at arranging a deck to suit her needs. It was a particular skill that she had worked hard to hone, and one that had become invaluable to her over time. 

The King of the Thieves’ Guild had his home in the French Quarter, a beautiful old southern home that had been in his family for generations. It was nearly as old as the city itself. It took a lot to be allowed inside - but Mattie just waltzed right in.

She made her way through the house, her footsteps silent on the plush carpeting, determined to nudge the future in the right direction. Normally she wouldn't have done anything - playing with the future was tricky, and could often do more harm than good. But this time she needed to intervene, at least enough to set things in motion. Ignoring the guards in front of Jean-Luc’s office, she simply walked inside like she owned the place. Of course, the guards didn’t exactly try and stop her, either - to do so would mean certain death, or at least a demotion.

There was a meeting going on, but Jean-Luc stopped everything when he saw the look on her face, much to the annoyance of his clients. He gestured to his guards to escort them out, the men immediately moving to do as he asked.

“Now hang on just a minute!” The man who had come to ask him for help said. He was a big, broad New Yorker, with the attitude and accent to match. His clothes were perfectly tailored to his body, easily costing a few thousand dollars. Jean-Luc narrowed his eyes, getting up from his seat - this was the kind of man who had money and wanted everyone to know it. His wife sat by his side, her overly teased hair hiding her grays but not how much she hated him. “We came here ta do business, and that's what we're gonna do!”

“My apologies, _monsieur_.” Jean-Luc said. While his voice was completely earnest and honest, his face spoke words about his true feelings. “But more pertinent information has just come in, an’ so I must bid y’ _adieu_. Someone will be in touch with y’ shortly to reschedule.” As soon as they were out of the room, he turned his attention to the tiny woman in front of him.

“What have y’ got for me dis time?” He asked, sitting himself behind the desk and folding his hands in his lap. His sharp eyes trained on her face, already planning different scenarios for what she might possibly tell him. “An’ make it somet'in good, _sil tu plait_. Dat was gonna be a _bon_ job.”

“Y'r gonna go into de Quarter t'morrow,” Mattie instructed simply. She didn't need to say much more than that to know that her demands would be followed. “And set de wheels of destiny into play.” With that said, she walked out of the room, leaving a quietly confused Jean-Luc behind. But he knew that he would do what Mattie Baptiste had decreed - he always did, in the end. The woman had saved his life too many times over the years for him to not trust her now.

The next day, a young orphan on the streets tried to pickpocket the King of Thieves, and he took him in. And Mattie smiled as she watched from the shadows, knowing that things were on their way to playing out perfectly. She had led them to the path they needed - now it was up to le diable Blanc and l'ange noir to continue it. 

8888

When Remy Etienne - not yet LeBeau - was born, he opened his eyes for the first time and the nurses screamed, nearly dropping the baby in their terror. His eyes shone as black as brimstone, his irises as red as hellfire. His parents were horrified and called a priest, asking him to come to the hospital in the dead of night and save their child's soul. 

But the priest took one look at the baby and ran, screaming about the devil-child to anyone who would listen. Horrified and ashamed, the baby’s parents left him on the steps of the nearest church… where the priests, in turn, abandoned him in the nearest emergency room.

The news of the demon-child spread through the hospital like wild-fire, causing enough of a disturbance that one particular person picked up on it as he scoured the city for children. The Antiquary was someone to be wary of at the best of times - a greedy sorcerer with a habit of stealing people away only to sell them the very next day. So when he heard stories of an abandoned child with glowing red eyes and nobody to miss it, he struck. He took the baby, intending to sell it to the highest bidder… only to have the baby stolen away and hidden on the streets of New Orleans by the very thief he had hired to take the boy in the first place.

Of course, the baby didn’t remember any of that. All he knew was that he was alone in the world - too strange to fit in with normal people and too tricky for the other outcasts. Once he was old enough to do so, he ran from alley to alley, avoiding everything to do with any church - a place that could have provided him a safe haven - after the third time they tried to exorcise him. He grew up on the streets, quickly learning that there was no one that he could trust but himself. Even the other street kids didn’t want anything to do with him. 

By the time Remy was five years old, he had taught himself most of what he needed to survive, using trial and error as he needed to. Soon he was being chased out of every territory for stealing from other thieves, for being too different. But that was okay. He was fine - lonely, but fine.

He made just enough to get by on the streets, and occasionally some of the nicer police officers would take him home with them for a hot meal instead of taking him to jail like they were supposed to. Until the day that he tried to pickpocket the King of Thieves, and found himself a home instead of a wallet. He became Remy LeBeau. He had a brother and a father and an aunt that cared about him, and nothing was ever the same.

8888

When Darcy Lerisse was born, her mama and papa couldn't have been happier. Tears of joy were shed as the nurses handed her over to her parents. Ten little fingers and ten little toes, with big blue eyes and a button nose, their fille couldn't have been any more perfect. They brought her home at two days old, with a red cord tied around her neck, amber beads strung on it to help protect her from any bad ju-ju. Mattie Baptiste had presided over her birth, and as soon as the child was born she had a secretive grin plastered to her face that wouldn’t go away. Even Jean-Luc had noticed it the next time they met - and while he didn’t know what had caused it, he knew that something was coming.

The only thing that her parents didn't understand was the thick streak of blonde in her hair - so bright, it almost seemed to glow. It was about an inch thick - never dulling or changing color even as the rest of her hair darkened with age.

By the time that Darcy was three years old, she was running around the house on chubby little legs with her brown curls flying behind her, sneaking up behind her parents on silent feet to steal back a toy that they had taken as punishment. Her Papa laughed every time, sweeping her into his arms and saying that someday she would be an excellent Thief, and one day lead jobs with ease. Those were her favorite stories to hear at bedtime - edited tales of her Papa’s job.

She grew up and went through her lessons to be a Thief, learning them to the best of her abilities. She knew that she would need the skills if she wanted to make her family proud, and she enjoyed learning them anyway. It was something for her and her Papa to do together - while her Mama was technically a part of the Guild, she married into it and as such, didn’t have much of a role in things. She was more of a den mother, providing alibis and guarding valuables before they were fenced. But Darcy was a natural at it, pick-pocketing with ease. She played cons and long games, working the streets until she knew every alleyway in the French Quarter.

She got better and better with age, until she became one of the most promising candidates for the next generation of Thieves. But at ten years old, her mutation kicked in. With the ability to heal even the largest injuries, to the point of bringing someone back from the brink of death, it was obvious what would happen. Once the King of Thieves learned what she was capable of, he decreed that she would no longer be a Thief, but a healer. Darcy argued as best she could - she had the skills to be a Thief, she could be both. But her protests fell on deaf ears. She was pulled out of her lessons the very next day, and began learning bandages and herbs instead of cons and safecracking. She learned how to cut and suture, and which herbs healed and which ones killed.

Mattie Baptiste took her under her wing - the unofficial voodoo queen of the Bayou. Mattie was a descendent of Marie Leveau herself, and it showed. It was in her flowing skirts and the colorful turbans she kept her hair wrapped in. It was in the shop that she ran and took Darcy as an apprentice in. And it was in the voodoo that she practiced on the regular, communing with the spirits to see the future and teaching Darcy everything she needed to know about healing. She taught the girl everything that she knew - herbs and stars, poultices and tinctures. Potions and creams, and which antidotes went with which poisons. She taught her everything that she could think of, and if there was ever anything that they hadn’t covered, then her mutation was enough to take care of healing it in the moment.

She was mastering her powers, but she was miserable. In her opinion, there was nothing better than the thrill of a con or the adrenaline rush that came with cracking a safe. Her lessons were none of those things - to her ten-year-old mind, this was nothing but torture.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time that the two of them met, he was eleven years old and breaking into the Voler property on a dare from his new brother. Henri had said that he wasn't smart enough to be a Thief, and of course Remy had to prove him wrong - which was why he was sneaking onto the grounds of a house that was kept so heavily secret, most of his new Papa's guards didn't even know it existed. It had taken him weeks to find enough information to prove that it was even real, let alone find a location for the place. Once he had discovered it, then all he had to do was wait for the next full moon - that way he wouldn't need any special equipment to see to make his way into the property. His plan was to take a picture of himself at the front door, thereby proving that he had made it in. It was foolproof.

Of course, he was quickly going to learn that foolproof didn't mean anything against the paranoia of the Thieves Guild.

Getting to the front door was easy enough - he had spent enough time hiding in the shadows as a child to be able to navigate them easily. With all of the training that his new Papa was having him do, it was that much easier to sneak through unseen. After that it was only a matter of getting past the guards. He almost got caught at one point - only the shadows of a magnolia tree saved him.

Of course, that was when it happened. He tripped a wire - one thin enough that even his trained eyes couldn't see it. There was a slight whistling in the air, and then a stinging pain in his head, making him grab at it in pain as everything went black for a few seconds. He pulled his hand away from his head, not quite comprehending what the rusty colored liquid on his hand was. That came a few moments later, along with a wave of pain so strong that it sent him reeling. He stumbled down the stairs, barely even noticing as he tripped an alarm and guards came running. He had had the moment all planned out - a triumphant grin on his face as he shoved the polaroid picture into Henri’s face, already saying ‘I told you so’. Instead, there was a massive wound in his head, and he crumbled to the ground. That was what alerted the guards to his presence, and he was surrounded in seconds.

“It’s de LeBeau boy.” someone said, and then he was being lifted into the air and carried away. He could feel something underneath him, and he fought to open his eyes. They wouldn’t open - his head felt fuzzy, like all he should have been doing was sleeping. He was jolted back to consciousness when the car came to a screeching halt. Shouts filled the air, calls for _un guérisseuse_ \- a healer - and a voodoo girl filling the night. The words kept fading in and out, but he could hear enough to know that whatever was going on was serious. Someone picked him up, carrying him someplace that smelled like Tante Mattie's shop. He fought to open his eyes, just barely managing the task. 

"Shhhh, _diable_." A voice whispered, pulling his attention away from the hustle that surrounded him. Something sweet was slipped into his mouth and put under his tongue, but the taste faded almost immediately.

As everything faded to black around him, the last thing he saw were big blue eyes and a golden glow of light. 

“ _Ange…_ ” he whispered, and with that final word, he blacked out.

8888

He woke up later in his bedroom at his Papa's home, a bandage wrapped around his head and the worried eyes of his father locked on him. It took Remy a moment to remember what had happened - sneaking out to the Voler property, the searing pain as his plans failed, and a pair of glowing blue eyes boring into his very soul.

Remy sat up slowly, pressing a hand to his head and feeling the bandage wrapped around his skull. “Wha' happened?” he groaned, red-on-black eyes blinking up at his father as he tried to remember how he got there. He couldn't remember anything after the eyes, but judging by the look on his father's face he was going to find out soon enough.

“Y'r lucky dey got y’ t’ de _guérisseuse_ in time.” Jean-Luc said, running his hands through his hair. Remy didn’t think he had ever seen the man look so worried before, and for a moment he panicked. He had only just come into the household, he didn’t want to be kicked out already. In that moment, Jean-Luc LeBeau looked every second of his age; every bit of his worry and fear written on his face.

“De _ange_ … she was real?” he asked, his voice hoarse from lack of use. The only thing that he could remember was a vague outline of a person, blue eyes and a golden glow, and a faint warmth. His mind conjured an image of an older woman - one that rivaled Mattie in terms of both age and wisdom.

“ _Oui._ ” Jean-Luc said, nodding slightly. “She's de Guild's healer, one of de best I've ever seen.” a faint smile twitched across his face and he settled on the bed next to his son. He pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I owe her now - she saved y’r life.”

With that said, Jean-Luc left the room, promising to be back before dinner. Remy wasn't too bothered by it - his father was a busy man, and the politics of the New Orleans underworld didn't wait. But he had never missed anything important - he was always there when his children needed him.

8888

The next time they met, it was at a soiree for the Guild, to introduce the next generation of prospective Thieves before they began their training. Every one of the children knew that they would not all pass their training, but everyone hoped that they would. He was shifting uncomfortably, still not used to the fine fabrics that his adoptive father insisted he needed to wear, all done in the Thieves colors. The get-up that he was in wasn't helping matters - a green dress shirt that was slightly baggy on his too skinny body and grey slacks, with sunglasses to hide his distinctive eyes. He felt like a child playing dress-up in his father's clothes, too anxious to do much more than stick by Henri's side.

The ballroom itself was all high ceilings and polished floors, with the elite members of New Orleans society everywhere. Servers - all thoroughly checked by the Guild for any ties to either law enforcement or the Assassin's Guild - patrolled the room with trays of champagne and hors d'oeuvre. While the purpose of the party was for the Thieves, it was also a chance to get work done as well. New contracts were to be made and deals were to be worked out. Remy stood awkwardly in the corner, eyeing a group of children around his age. There was a part of him that wanted nothing more than to go and say hello, but he kept himself from doing so. 

His eyes fell on one in particular - a girl who looked to be close to his age, if not a year or two younger. Her hair was pulled back in twin braids and she wore a blue dress with a frilly skirt and fabric roses, looking just as irritated as he was. A streak of almost white-blonde hair stood out, woven into her otherwise dark braids. He moved closer, thinking about talking to her but feeling nerves building at the very idea. He already knew that he didn't have the same education as the other children did, and was more than a little wary of embarrassing himself and his new family.

But he could see Henri across the room, and the older teen smiled at him, encouraging him to go over to the group and make some friends. He shook his head quickly - the last thing he wanted was to get attached to anyone. He knew that Jean-Luc had taken him in for good, that he wanted to keep him as his son. But despite everything his new Papa told him, there was a small part of him waiting for the other shoe to drop. Waiting for him to get fed up and get rid of him.

Henri glared at him, miming that he needed to stop being a baby and go make friends. Really, Remy was actually impressed that he had been able to mime that out as clearly as he did. Of course, his older brother's miming abilities weren't enough to make him actually go and talk to people. So he mimed back at his brother, making it clear that he wasn't going to be doing anything like that.

Henri's response was to threaten to beat him, coming up with anatomically impossible threats. Remy still wasn't quite sure how his brother was managing to mime it all.

Remy rolled his eyes. Until Henri managed to carry out any of his threats, he might as well play nice. So he moved in her direction, hesitant but hopeful.

She turned familiar blue eyes on him, and he froze. The last time he had seen them, they had been glowing with an otherworldly light as she saved him from a head wound that would have most likely killed him otherwise. Now they stared at him, slightly narrowed as the girl tried to figure out where she knew him from.

“I know you.” the girl said, a small smile lighting up her face as she figured it out. She pushed her hair back behind her ear, her fingers lingering over her blonde streak for a moment. “Y'r de boy dat tried t’ break into de -”

But he remembered where he knew her from as well, and then he couldn't stop himself from interrupting. “Y'r de _guérisseuse_ de keep goin’ on about?” Remy asked, his face reflecting his incredulity as much as his voice did. “Y'r _un petite fille_!” He should have been more sensitive about it, he knew that. But with the way his Papa had been talking about her, he had expected an older woman. Someone like his Tante, as scary as she was wise.

The smile fell off of her face to be replaced with a scowl that made him hesitate - maybe the girl in front of him was a little bit scary, he admitted to himself. Of course, that didn’t mean that he would ever actually admit something like that out loud. “De right t'ing t’ say is _merci beaucoup, sil tu plait_.” she said, hands on her hips as she got into his face to argue with him. He was already several inches taller than her, but that didn't seem to bug her at all. She got in his face all the same.

He was shocked. Ever since his new Papa had taken him in, no one had dared talk to him like that. They were all too afraid of Jean-Luc's reputation and his own 'charms’ to say anything to him. But this tiny girl more than held her own, and while it irritated him slightly, a bigger part of him was impressed with her. It was refreshing. So instead of yelling or causing a scene, he just stared at her as she walked away. 

8888

He had slipped out again after the party, determined to hit the streets and keep his skills sharp. Even if he was living with the King of Thieves now, there was still a part of him that worried that he was going to be thrown back onto the streets at some point. Despite knowing how ridiculous it was, that fear kept him from becoming lax and letting his guard down.

He barely made it three alleyways away from the LeBeau house when he was surrounded, street kids coming at him from both ends of the alley. He recognized some of them, but his time away from the streets meant that new kids were leading things. His body tensed up as he went on the alert, already knowing what was coming.

There was a moment when they all just stood there, staring at each other. Until one of the street kids made the first move. “Look at de _monstre_ \- de freak!” one of them shouted, shoving him hard enough that he went flying. His back hit the wall before he hit the ground, and his glasses came flying off. The group around him hesitated a bit when they saw his eyes, but once one of them started in again they all did.

After that, it was a blur of pain. He tried to fight them off - did the best he could - but even with all the training his Papa was having him do, there were just too many of them for him to fight off at once. So he curled up, trying to keep his vital organs safe and leaving the rest to fate.

“Y’ leave him alone!” Someone called out, bursting into the group and shoving the older boys aside with a glare that froze them in place. The ones that didn’t freeze, she started to fight. He laid there for a moment, completely stunned until he saw that streak of blonde and realized exactly who it was. For some reason, Darcy Lerisse had come to his aid.

She waited until the last of the bullies were gone before making her way over to him.

“Why did y’ help Remy?” The boy asked, looking at her in confusion as she pulled him to his feet. “He was _couillon_ t' y'."

She shrugged, looking like she wasn’t exactly sure why she had helped him either. “Just 'cause y’ were _couillon_ doesn't mean dey get t’ be mean t’ y’.” She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. “B'sides, dey don't like me much either, because of m’ powers. I t'ought we should stick t'gether.”

He smiled at her reasoning. “De name's Remy LeBeau, _mademoiselle_.” It was the first time that he introduced himself with his new last name, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be the last. He had never actually had a last name before, and the idea that he had one now sent something warm through his system. 

She curtsied in reply, just like her Mama had taught her. There was a wide smile on her face as she straightened upright, blue eyes shining. “Darcy Lerisse.” She introduced. He knew her name - Henri had told him about the healer after the incident. Of course, Henri forgot to mention that _l'ange noir_ \- the Guild's name for their healer - was Remy's age.

“A pleasure, _mademoiselle_.” He said, bending to kiss her hand like the scoundrels in movies did. He wasn't sure why, but it always made people melt when he did it. And according to his Papa, he could use all of the charm that he had and then some. He winced as he straightened up, already starting to ache from his beating. Most of his bruises were hidden, but there were a few that he could feel forming on his limbs that would be easily seen.

“Here. Let me fix it for y’.” she said, reaching down to brush her hand over the rapidly darkening bruise on his arm. He watched in awe as she healed it, her hands glowing with a soft golden light as they moved over his arm.

Once she was done he took his arm back, marveling at the unmarked skin. “How…” he asked, and the faintest hint of a blush traced over her face.

“It’s m’ power - I heal people.” she said nonchalantly, like what she had just done was no big deal. “What do y’ do?” she asked, but he shrugged.

“Don’ know yet.” he admitted, starting the walk back to his home. Darcy followed him, looking intrigued. “M’ powers haven’t kicked in yet. Tante says dey’ll be here soon.”

She nodded, accepting his answer for what it was. "Come on." She said, grabbing his hand and pulling him along behind her. "I want t' go play before dey make me start practicin' m'healing again."

"Y’ forgive Remy?" He asked hopefully, red eyes shining.

"Of course I do, dummy.” she said, rolling her eyes. “You are m’ Prince. I have t’ forgive y' if y' ask me to."

His face fell as he shook his head at her answer, pulling away from her. “Non. Don’t forgive Remy just because of m’ place.” he argued. “If y’r gonna forgive Remy, he better deserve it.”

“Den y’ better make me a promise.” she decided, folding her arms over her chest as she looked up at him. “An’ it better be a good one, _oui_?”

“What if…” he searched for something to promise her - something good. “Remy promises t’ never be _couillon_ again?"

But she shook her head, her braids swinging around her shoulders like twin whips. “Dat’s a piecrust promise, my Mama says. Easily made, easily broken.” she repeated the words with the ease of a child who had been told them time and time again. “Try again, _diable_." Funnily enough, the old name didn't sting quite as badly when Darcy said it.

“Den I promise t’ stay wit’ y’.” he said, with all the surety that an eleven-year-old could muster. “I promise t’ be dere for y' and be y'r _ami_ an'... And t' never leave y' behind."

"Den I forgive y’, Remy LeBeau." She said, and the smile on his face lit up the night.

"An’ y’ll be _mon ami_?” he asked, looking at her hopefully.

"For as long as y’ll have me around.” she shrugged, sure that he would get tired of her in a week or two. After all, he was the Prince of Thieves - he probably had better people to play with.

"Forever, den."

8888

After that, the pair were inseparable - as thick as thieves. Where one was, the other followed. Remy followed Darcy to her lessons - her parents had decided that she needed to learn as much as she could to help with her healing powers. He learned alongside her, helping her with her studies and getting better on his own. In turn, he taught her everything that he learned from his lessons in combat and thievery.

They tortured Henri together and tried to pull pranks on Mattie - although they did that exactly once before they never did it again. They had agreed that the consequences were far too high for that. Their favorite place was the French Quarter itself - running through the streets and back alleys, playing tricks on tourists, stealing treats from street vendors. Despite the fate that was in store for the pair of them, they still had time to play like normal children

And if anyone ever thought to ask Remy what had made him change - from the quiet adopted son of the King of Thieves into a mischievous troublemaker - he would never have admitted that it had to do with how delightful Darcy looked when she was plotting something. It was in the way her eyes lit up with mischief, the quirk of her lips as she fought back her laughter. She would grab his hand and drag him along behind her at first until eventually, they were racing side by side.

They pushed each other to be better - to move faster, think smarter, train harder. Remy took the lead in the newest generation of Thieves, and Darcy became known throughout the underworld as a healer. Most of the time she didn’t even need to use her powers anymore. Doing so drained her energy - the worse the wound that she had to heal, the more energy that it took from her in the long run. So she focused on herbs and plants, the old hoodoo ways that Mattie taught her. But at night she would sneak out to meet with Remy, and learn whatever it was that his tutors had taught him that day.

Slowly, they became the pride and joy of the Thieves Guild, and earned their own titles - _le diable blanc_ , and _l’ange noir_.


	3. Chapter 3

Darcy Lerisse and Remy LeBeau had been friends for three, almost four years by now. They grew up together, egging each other on to more and more ridiculous stunts, with Darcy patching them up every time. Remy was at her house almost every night, and she showed up at his when he didn't. Jean-Luc called them codependent, Henri called them trouble. Mrs. Lerisse, Darcy's mother, just clicked her tongue and gave a knowing smile every time she saw the pair together. And Remy… Remy was in love.

He wasn’t sure exactly when he had fallen for Darcy Lerisse, with her blue eyes and sassy mouth. He wasn’t even sure why he had in the first place. She was too stubborn, too sarcastic, too willing to put herself in harm's way to help others for a Thief… too perfect. He just knew that she was the one. They called her _l’ange noir_ \- the dark angel. The title of angel went with her others - healer, witch. But he could never tell if the ‘dark’ part of her title was in reference to her long dark hair… or if someone had been unfortunate enough to catch her before her morning coffee.

They were teenagers, just starting to figure out what attraction was and to understand the undeniable pull that they had towards each other. They gravitated towards each other like two halves of a binary star, lighting up the dark in the middle of the night. 

They were _l’ange noir_ and _le diable blanc_ \- a matched set, almost. Perfectly balanced halves, opposite yet the same. She calmed his temper, while he drew out her reckless side, and vice versa. They fought together and studied together, learning how to navigate the Guild. They would both play important roles in it someday, they knew - Remy as prince and Darcy as healer. But that didn't matter. All that mattered at the moment was that he knew that he was completely, irrevocably head-over-heels for the girl. Henri knew it, Mattie knew it, he was pretty sure that even his Papa knew it.

The only person who didn’t seem to know was _l’ange_ herself. It was infuriating - he had done everything but shout it out on a float in the middle of Mardi Gras, and she still hadn't realized it. But Henri was helping him - with luck, this would be the night he fixed that problem. His brother had given him advice, teasing him the entire time about finally acting on his crush. And while he usually didn’t listen to the advice that Henri gave him, for once he chose to listen.

Remy waited until the house was quiet before climbing out of his bed. He strapped his bo staff to his side and slipped on his jacket - it wasn’t anything like the Thieves Colors that his father and brother wore, but it would do for now. Later, when he was older, he would be allowed to test to become a Master Thief. Then he would get his own Colors - the green and grey of the Thieves Guild. 

With that done, he slipped over to his bedroom window, carefully sliding it open. His Papa kept threatening to nail the window shut, but they all knew it was an empty threat.

He climbed out of his bedroom window, timing things so that the guards were in the middle of changing - ever since the last threat from the Assassin's, his Papa had become more and more paranoid about security. But he wasn't part of the Guild for nothing, and sneaking out wasn't too hard for him. He made his way through the streets of the French Quarter, ducking into and out of the crowds with ease. The route that he took was one that he could have walked blind and concussed - and he had done just that on more than one occasion.

He ran through the streets and over rooftops, hurrying to make it on time. If this was going to be the day that he worked up the courage to tell his ange how he felt, he wasn’t going to start it off by arriving late.

Darcy was waiting outside her house when he arrived, and he smiled gallantly at her, sweeping into a low bow and kissing the back of her hand. She laughed, a light blush coloring her cheeks. A cocky grin stretched across his face when he noticed, making her roll her eyes in return. "Charmer." She muttered, pushing him away half-heartedly when he laughed. She was covered head-to-toe in purple, green, and gold, and handed him a mask to use. Glittery paint covered her face, adding to her costume. He rolled his eyes, but pulled the mask that she handed him on anyway - she always said that half the fun of the party itself was dressing up for it. And while he didn't share her opinion, he would do it to make her happy.

“C'mon den, _ange_.” He said, grabbing her hand in his and dragging her behind him back towards the center of the French Quarter. Already, she could hear strains of music filling the air, the beginning of a never-ending party. “It's Mardi Gras.”. He looked back at her, his auburn hair braided tightly against his head and red eyes flashing as he smiled at her.

“ _Laissez les bons temps rouler, cher_.” Darcy said in reply.

They ran across the city, pulling each other along and giggling like maniacs, immensely pleased with themselves for having dodged Remy's bodyguards. Music filled the air and people filled the streets, but the pair had grown up here in the Quarter, and they knew how to dodge the crowds with the ease of people who had grown up stealing from the tourists. They grabbed beads from the air, filled their stomachs with food and played the games available, both of them determined to win more than the other.

At one point, they were stopped from jumping into one of the floats by a group of drunken tourists. Remy rolled his eyes, dead set on ignoring them. But Darcy pulled him back, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Come on, _diable_ ," she coaxed. "Let's have some fun with dem.". He thought about it for a moment before reluctantly agreeing. He climbed down with her, turning to face the newcomers with her. 

“Can we help y’, _mon ami_?” Remy asked slowly, making sure that his glasses were hiding his eyes before he looked at the men. There were four of them, all at least a decade older than the teens were. Of course, that didn’t seem to stop them from staring at Darcy. 

"Hey baby," one of the men leered, eyes sweeping over the teen's body in a manner that made Remy snarl. “Why don’t you ditch the local boy and come play with us, hmm?”

She smiled at them all, running her eyes over them all suggestively before turning to look at Remy. She took his hand in hers before turning to look back at the men. " _Je suis desole, je ne parle pas anglais, cochon_." She lied, pulling Remy away as he laughed. She bumped into the man as they pushed past him, not even bothering to look back.

Remy laughed again when she held up the man’s wallet a block later, a proud smile stretching across her face. “Dinner?” she offered, pulling out the cash from it before tossing the wallet on the ground. Keeping the cash was all well and good, but keeping the wallet itself was a bad idea. In the rare chance that they got caught later on, keeping that wallet would be like finding the smoking gun.

They headed for one of the street vendors, grabbing a helping of beignets for each of them. Somehow, Remy ended up covered in powdered sugar - and when Darcy pointed it out to him, he attacked her with it as well. She yelled in shock, screwing up her face against the powder that settled on it. She laughed, mischief in her eyes before grabbing some of them out of the grease-stained container, determined to get him back. The pair chased each other through the Mardi Gras crowds, fighting with powdered sugar.

He knew that if he didn't make his move now, he wouldn't work up the courage to try again. So in the middle of the crowds, people pushing and shoving against them, he did it. The music played all around them, parade floats passing them by. Confetti and beads rained down from the skies, but he didn’t notice any of it. He stopped running, waiting for her to catch up to him. All that he saw was blue eyes and gold paint, and that blonde streak of hair.

He kissed her - nothing much, just a soft and chaste kiss before quickly pulling away. Watching the play of emotions across her face, he worried his lip as he waited for her reaction. A slow smile danced across her face, and the relief that hit him when she kissed him back was like a balm for his soul.

“Y’ know how long I've been waitin’ for y’ t’ do dat?” She asked, her eyes glowing softly in the pale moonlight. “Almost _trois_ years.”

The wonder on his face was only rivaled by his excitement. “Y've only known Remy little longer dan dat.” he said, his voice unsure.

“Exactly.” she said, and kissed him again. His hands moved up of their own volition, moving to cradle her face in his hands. She tasted like sweet tea and the cheap whiskey that they had stolen from a tourist. She tasted like heaven. In that moment he knew that he would never give this up, not voluntarily. For as long as his heart beat, it would belong to Darcy Lerisse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Review!


	4. Chapter 4

He was fourteen, and it was the first Valentine's Day since Darcy Lerisse had let him kiss her and had claimed him as hers. Because of that, he was determined to do something special for her - he just didn’t know what. He had never really celebrated the holiday before, except for scoring a little extra cash from couples looking to go to an expensive restaurant for the night. His Papa didn't celebrate the holiday that much - when he asked, Henri had told him that it had to do with Papa’s wife, who had died before Remy had ever been born. But his Tante had told him about the holiday when he asked, and she had offered to help him set something up for Darcy. But he had waved off her help, determined to do it all on his own.

He had done his research - spying on couples all around the city, learning what to do and what not to do. He made lists and plans, making sure every detail was perfect. Henri teased him, saying he was planning this date just as meticulously as he would a job. He just smiled in reply, and went back to it.

The day arrived. He set to work, making up a picnic of all of her favorites - boudin, po’boys, beignets, and other foods. He cooked them all himself, loading them into a picnic basket that Mattie loaned him. Leaving that at the park, he raced to her house to get her. He only stopped for a moment to pick some flowers for her. His Darcy had always preferred wild flowers, saying that they looked pretty and could be used to save people as well. He rang her doorbell, thrusting the bouquet of wildflowers in her face the moment she opened the door.

She couldn't help but laugh when she saw the sheer amount of food that Remy had made - enough to feed an army instead of just two teenagers. Still, they sat down and enjoyed their picnic, staying until long after the sun went down. He walked her home that night, kissing her gently when he left her at her door. As he walked away, there was a smile on his face - he was sure that the day had gone perfectly, nothing could ruin it for him.

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The next day, he went by her house to see if she wanted to go to the movies, or play a prank on Henri, only to be told that Darcy was stuck in bed. She had food poisoning and was covered in poison oak, her mother said - she couldn’t figure out how it had happened, and Darcy wasn’t saying anything.

As soon as he heard, his heart sank - he knew exactly what had happened to her, and it was all his fault.

“ _Je suis desole, chere_.” He whispered, slipping through the window to see her. His _ange_ looked miserable, a bucket sitting next to her bed alongside a bottle of calamine lotion. She glared at him as soon as she saw him, and he winced. Even covered in little red bumps and slathered in pink lotion, her glare was enough to have him wanting to beg for forgiveness. 

“Y’r _un diable_ , Remy LeBeau.” she snapped at him, but there was no missing the softness in her eyes when she looked at him. And when he slipped into the bed next to her, she only protested for a minute before settling in the crook of his arm.

Later, she admitted that what he had tried to do was sweet. His heart had been in the right place, she argued- his execution was just a bit off of the mark. But they also agreed that any cooking should be left to Darcy.

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They were fifteen, now, and so in love that it was sickening to anyone who saw them together for more than five minutes. Remy brought her flowers at least once a week - always wildflowers that she would dry and use for different medicines. He had learned his lesson the last time, though, and only picked ones that Mattie assured him were safe. She would patch him up after training with a roll of her eyes and a kiss on the forehead.

They snuck out that night to see the Mardi Gras parade, like they did every year. This year, however, there was a slight change - not only in their relationship, but in the topic of conversation as well. Instead of focusing on the parade floats, they were talking about the topic that had been on everybody's mind for days - Remy's mutation. It had revealed itself a few weeks before in a blaze, nearly sending the whole house that they were robbing up in flames. Only two days before Mardi Gras, Jean-Luc had allowed him to go on a job with Henri for the first time since his mutation revealed itself, but things had gone wrong when everything he touched exploded the moment he made contact with it. It was a useful power to have when it came to fighting and melee - it just wasn’t as useful when it came to thievery. Luckily, they already had begun to have that part of things under control - he had started practicing meditation and tai chi in order to help control the explosions. Now it was only an issue of finding something that he could safely use as projectiles.

“Y’ can't keep usin’ whatever y’ find on de ground.” She pointed out, making a path through the crowd for them. Their shoulders bumped together as they wove through the crowds, expertly losing their guards. “Y’ need more control dan dat if y’ ever want y'r Papa t’ let y’ on a job again.”

He rolled his eyes, expertly dodging the elbow that she threw at him. “Remy knows, _chere_.” he huffed. “But it’s hard t’ t’ink of somet’in dat would work wit’out gettin’ me caught. Can’t use knives, or anyt’in else metal.” 

She nodded at his point - too many places had metal detectors, and it was hard enough getting in and out of places without having to worry about setting those off. While they were capable of it - they had just covered the subject in their lessons the week before - it would still be far too irritating to do all of the time. But it was still easier to not have to bother getting past it in the first place. Then a street performer caught her eye - three card monty. “Why not use cards?” She suggested, sidestepping around a group of children. A man offered her a string of beads but she shook her head, offering him a small smile in return. “Dey're easy t’ hide, portable, and y’ can throw dem easy enough. It’ll be like having fifty-two explosives in one package.”

He nodded his head, moving to stand next to her and slipping his hand into hers, hoping that she couldn't feel how sweaty his palms were. Either she didn't notice or she didn't care, because she just laced their fingers together. “Practice wit’ dem _cinq minutes_ every morning - it'll take y’ less time den it does t’ do y'r hair.” She teased, and he laughed in reply. 

He pressed a kiss to the side of her face, swinging her into his arms. Darcy laughed, nestling her face in the crook of his neck. 

"How long are y' going t' stay with me, Remy?" Darcy asked him, her blue eyes shining like the stars themselves as she pulled away enough to look up at him. 

His heart stuttered in his chest. They had been through too much already for her to be asking that question - countless jobs and training sessions, time spent in her infirmary and on the streets wandering the Quarter. But he could see the fear in her eyes, and so he pushed back his own insecurities. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, pushing up his sunglasses so she could see the sincerity in his eyes. "Never gon' leave y', _mon ange_." He swore, echoing the first promise he ever made her. "No matter what."

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He had never been here before. Not even in this part of the Crescent City - far enough away from the Quarter that he wouldn't have even come here for a job. It was enough to make even the Prince of Thieves himself nervous - he had no backup, no weapons, and only the barest hint of a plan.

He stood in front of the building, half of his attention on the deck of cards in his hands and the shuffling that he was doing. It helped him to focus, but he also wanted to get to the point where he could shuffle them without having to think about it. His hand slipped, and he dropped some of the cards. His heart beat just a bit faster and he felt a blush stain his cheeks, awkwardly checking the parking lot and praying that nobody had seen him. Luckily, everyone still seemed to be inside the building, so no one had noticed his mistake.

It only took a few more minutes for a loud alarm to sound from inside the building, making him look up. He took a moment to adjust the sunglasses on his face, still listening to the sound. He wasn’t positive - as he had never actually gone to a school, with Jean-Luc having hired private tutors for him instead - but he thought it might have been to signal the end of the day. His suspicions were confirmed a few minutes later when students came pouring out of the building, all of them at least glancing over at the stranger parked in front of the building. He didn’t pay them any attention, keeping his eyes trained on the doors and waiting for one particular person to come through. 

He didn't have to wait long.

No longer the chubby child that he had first met so long ago, sixteen-year-old Darcy Lerisse was a force to be reckoned with. Her bright blue eyes were partially hidden behind her glasses, and the blonde streak in her hair had been braided back for the day and tucked into her ponytail. He couldn’t help but notice the looks that some of the students sent her way - some were hateful, some were thankful, and others were lustful. It was the third category that made something ugly well up in Remy’s chest. That disappeared when he saw the sunny smile she sent his way, making his heart beat double-time in his chest, just like it had every time that he had seen her for the last six years. He almost didn’t notice the girl walking next to his femme, or the boy on her other side.

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The final period seemed to drag on forever, in Darcy's opinion. It always did. Her friends made it slightly better, but she was just itching to leave. Mattie had promised her a new lesson tonight, and she didn't want to be late. The last time that had happened, Mattie had made her scrub out every cauldron that the woman owned - it had taken her two days.

The bell rang, and she was out the door like a shot, barely waiting for her friends to catch up. 

She lit up when she saw the stranger in front of the school, heading straight for him despite the way that her friends tried to pull her back. They whispered that he looked dangerous, that he was probably looking for trouble. Cody even suggested that they go home a different way, leaving out the back door of the school. Privately, she agreed - her boyfriend was always looking for trouble. Usually he found it as well, but he was more than capable of pulling himself out of it. It was one of the things she appreciated about him. She didn't have to worry about him because he had as many lives as an army of cats.

That didn't stop her from worrying, of course. After all, she was the one that patched him up in the aftermath of a job gone wrong, when he had taken one too many risks. 

“T'anks f'r comin’ to get me, _mon diable_.” She said, standing on her tiptoes to brush a kiss against his cheek, pulling off his sunglasses in the same motion. It was cloudy enough out that the sunlight didn't hurt his eyes as much as it normally would have, and he eagerly returned the kiss.

“Of course, _mon ange_.” He said, moving gracefully to the other side of the car to open her door for her. It was his first car, and his pride and joy - nothing fancy enough to stand out, but still top of the line.

“Aren’t you going to introduce us, Dar?” a voice called, pulling the both of them back to reality. He looked down at Darcy, and she smiled sheepishly up at him. He hadn’t been expecting to be ambushed by her school friends, and she smiled, mouthing an apology. She could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable with the idea, but was putting on a brave front anyway.

Really, he felt a bit odd at the reminder that his _femme_ had a life outside of the Guild. It was like seeing some of their instructors outside of lessons - strange and unexpected. But then Darcy didn’t have to put up with the same level of security that he did, and so was able to go to school like a normal person. The only security that she had was if she was going somewhere that was Assassins territory, as befitting a Healer for the Thieves Guild. As such, she had a lot more freedom, and a lot more ability to get into trouble.

“Guys, this is my boyfriend Remy.. Devon.” she said, flicking him a quick glance that had him hiding a smile. The name that she had given him wasn’t the most original, but it would do for the time being. He couldn’t help but notice the way that her accent was slightly hidden around her friends “Remy, dis is Samantha Barnes and Cody Affleck. Dey’re friends of mine.”

He grinned, making sure his glasses were firmly in place. While Darcy could easily pass as a normal human, his eyes made it a little bit harder for him to hide in plain sight. He pasted a smile onto his face, turning to face the newcomers.

"Your boyfriend?" Cody asked, looking shocked. Remy could hear a hint of jealousy in the kid's voice, and his arm tightened around Darcy.

" _Oui._ " Remy said coolly. "Nice t' meet y'."

"Nice to meet you too, I guess."

“Are we still on for this weekend?” Samantha asked, and Remy started slightly at her obviously Northern accent. It wasn’t that often that he heard an accent like that except from some of the people that came to do business with his Papa. “Maybe we can hang out at your house this time - I can’t believe that I still haven’t seen your room.”

Darcy hesitated, and Remy knew exactly why. Her house was covered in the tools of their trade - while not in plain sight, they could still be found very easily. Lockpicks in the silverware drawer, a blowtorch in the linen closet and body armor in both her closet and her parents’. Not to mention the safe under her bed that held her share of everything that she had stolen - and while she technically wasn't a Thief, she had helped Remy enough times to have a rather large cut. A Thief’s house was their castle, and they weren’t accustomed to having outsiders in. So he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her friends an insolent grin, noting the way Samantha blushed and Cody scowled. “ _Je suis desole, mon amies_ , but I’ve got plans dis weekend for _mon ange_ dat can’t be changed. Ol’ Remy hopes dat y’ will be able t’ forgive him for stealin’ y’r _ami_ away.”

They didn't have an answer to that, much to his delight. But Darcy pulled on his arm, pulling his attention away from her friends.

“Come on, y’ street rat - we got t’ get home before Mattie does. Or Mama." she absolutely did not laugh at the way he went pale at the thought of dealing with her mother. Despite having nothing at all to do with the Guild, Mme. Lerisse was a fearsome woman who ruled their household with a velvet wrapped iron fist.

As they climbed into Remy’s car, Darcy caught his eye as she smacked his arm. “And would y’ quit starin’ daggers at _mes amies_!” she chided. “Y’r such a jealous bastard.”

Remy shrugged, laughing under his breath. “Don’t know what else y’ expected, _chere_.” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he put the car into drive. “Y’ knew dat about Remy ‘fore we ever started datin’.”


	5. Chapter 5

Mattie had told her to close up the shop early for once, something she probably would have done anyway. It happened rarely - normally Mattie did the closing every night, while she opened the building every morning. But tonight was special, so she swept the floors one last time, shooing the last customer out the door. Making sure everything was put away properly, she grabbed her cloak before heading out the door. Once she was on the main road, she pulled her cloak over her head, hiding her face from view completely. Just in case there was someone watching - whether it be Assassins or police - it was always safer to keep her face hidden.

It only took her a moment to disappear into the crowds of the French Quarter, hidden in plain sight.

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Thieves converged in the streets, moving swiftly and silently. Their faces were hidden under hoods, cloaks helping to hide the body armor that they wore. While it would have made more sense for them to be wearing street clothes - to blend in and keep from being noticed - today was important. 

Today, the Thieves would be adding to their ranks.

In the middle of them all were two cars - the first carried the initiates who were running the Gauntlet. It was the final test that they needed to pass in order to graduate from their final training and become Master Thieves. Seven in total, the oldest was twenty-seven - the youngest was seventeen. Remy LeBeau, if he passed, would be the youngest Master Thief in the history of the Thieves Guild.

The second car held the Guildmaster and select Masters - those of the King’s inner circle. New Orleans was famous. While there were Thieves’ Guilds all around the world - each one with a Guildmaster who oversaw everything - only one had a King. The King controlled every Guild around the world, each respective Guildmaster reporting to him and him alone. Jean-Luc LeBeau had more firepower to his name than the leaders of some countries.

But even he was nervous - if his son failed, there would be no coming back from it. Remy was a cocky boy, determined to make it through on his first try. 

The Thieves assembled themselves in rings around the cars, sticking to the shadows that protected them. To anyone watching, only the cars themselves would be visible, everyone else hidden in the twilight.

The King of Thieves was the first to make himself known, stepping out from the shadows. Clad in grey from head to toe with accents of green, his hair was braided back tightly against his scalp. There wasn’t a single weapon visible on his body, and yet he still looked like he could kill a man with no issues. Tante Mattie was on his right, as his unofficial second-in-command. And on his left, several steps behind, was Darcy. She was in full regalia, as the situation called for - her hair tightly braided back, dress a deep blue color with black petticoats that peeked out with her every step. His honor guard moved with him, protecting the man who didn’t need protection. One of his honor guards moved to open the door of the other car, letting the initiates out into the night.

Everything was quiet. Not a sound could be heard - not a cough, not a pebble being moved out of place. Over two hundred Master Thieves, and not a single noise. It was eerie. The initiates stumbled out of the car, unsure of where they were. They had all been blindfolded on the drive over, to keep them disoriented. But they all snapped to attention when Jean-Luc moved to stand in front of them, hands clasped behind his back and chin in the air.

He moved to stand in front of the first one - a young woman, petite and slender. She was dressed the same as all of the others, in a tight-fitting catsuit that would allow them the best range of motion. Her dark eyes gleamed with anticipation as she looked at her king, her eyes darting away every few seconds. “Y’ want t’ join our ranks?” Jean-Luc asked, staring the woman down. Darcy knew her - she was a few years older than her. She had trained with her for a little while before they got caught and Darcy was sent back to the infirmary.

The woman didn’t look up from her feet. “Yes, Guildmaster.”

He made his way down the line, asking each initiate the same question. Each time, he got the same response. Remy was the last one to ask, and the only initiate to boldly stare him down as he answered. “ _Oui_ , Guildmaster.”

Jean-Luc smiled, approval radiating from his eyes. “Den let the test begin.”

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Darcy stood next to Jean-Luc, with Mattie on her other side, ignoring the curious glances that the man sent her way as she watched the initiates run their final gauntlet. If they made it through this one final test, they would become full members of the Guild. She watched it every year, to make sure that even if they didn't all pass their test, they all survived. Some years there would be repeats - people who had failed the year before and were trying again.

This one was different. This time, Remy was running. There were seven in total running the gauntlet this year, and all of them were people that she knew. She had grown up with them, studied with them until she left to continue her path in healing. None of them knew what the test was, as only Master Thieves were allowed to watch the ceremony. Master Thieves, and Darcy. Remy had been pestering her for weeks to tell him what exactly was going to happen. Every time she refused, and then had to put up with him pouting like a baby until he found some way to distract himself.

"Hey dere, _cherie_." Remy said, smiling as he swaggered over. Of course, that was how he always moved - the Prince of Thieves oozed confidence in a way that many could. But he kept an eye out around them, trying to keep themselves from being noticed. While it was still known that the pair were seeing each other, it was still best to keep things discreet. Of course, Remy wouldn’t know the meaning of the word if it hit him over the head.

“Remy.” her voice was quiet, her cloak moving with her as she raised a hand to cup his face. “Are y’ ready for dis?”

He nodded, turning his face into her palm. “Ready as I’ll ever be.” he smiled, mischief in his eyes. “Y’ gonna give me a kiss? Just fo’ luck, of course.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Come back t’ me in one piece. Den we can talk about kisses.”

Their task was simple - make it to the end of the Gauntlet alive. They weren't allowed any tools except what could be hidden on their person, and each initiate was searched before they began their run. If they were able to keep anything hidden from the guards, it showed favorably on them.

Once they had been searched, they were allowed to begin the course. It was a rooftop run over abandoned warehouses. The path was slick and hard to run, full of holes and rotted sections. As they went, they had to find the jewels that had been left for them - the diamond in the rough, Jean-Luc joked. Each one of them only had thirty minutes to run the course.

Two of the initiates didn't make it more than halfway through the course and were rushed to Darcy, covered in blood. Those were the only ones that she had to use her powers for, her eyes glowing gold as she did - anything else that was brought to her were simple things that could be easily fixed with a poultice or a bandage. Then it was Remy's turn.

His hair was braided back against his head, held fast by a leather strip. He had grown from the scrawny gutter child that he had been when he was first introduced to the Guild - now he looked like a prince, a future king. A general wave of approval made its way through the crowd at his appearance, but it went quiet as one of the King's Court came forward to search him. It only took him a few minutes and he was done, with a small pile of confiscated goods at his feet. They even went over him with a metal detector to check him.

The assembled crowds weren't pleased. While it was impressive that he had managed to hide that much on him, they had still managed to find it. But Darcy smiled from her place next to Henri. Remy had something up his sleeve, she knew it. He was a tricky devil, her Remy.

He started the course, his footsteps barely making a sound against the metal of the roof as he ran. It was almost impressive, watching him move - not that she would ever tell him that. His ego was bad enough as it was. And then he slipped.

Everything moved in slow motion as she watched him fall. This was going to be the end. She could feel her heart constricting in her chest as it happened - if he fell from that height, even she wouldn’t be able to save him.

But Remy didn’t falter. He pulled his bo staff out - she wasn’t sure where he had hidden it, and wasn’t sure that she wanted to know - flicking it open in one fluid motion and catching the ends on the edges of the hole, saving himself from falling. Darcy whooped, not caring about the looks that she was getting. As long as Remy was okay. This was what he had wanted since they were children, to be a Master Thief. He was going to have that chance. 

And Darcy was just glad that he was okay.

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All of the thieves that had passed the test knelt in front of the King of Thieves, heads bowed. One by one, they gained their rank as Master Thieves, and were given their full Colors. The only exception was Remy himself - his full-length coat was a dark brown leather, as opposed to the green cloth of his counterparts. That was what denoted his rank as a prince, setting him apart from the rest.

After that, the ceremony was over. The rest of the day was for the individual families to celebrate or mourn, depending on how things went for them. The night was for the new Master Thieves themselves, to have one last night of total freedom before they dedicated their lives to the Guild. Remy cut an impressive figure as he made his way through the crowds, pushing his way through as he looked for his girlfriend. 

“ _Diable_.” Darcy called out, moving to pull her thief into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her just as tightly, picking her up and spinning her around.

“Do I get dat kiss now?” he asked, and she laughed, gesturing for him to put her down. Darcy saluted him once he did as she asked - her fist pressed over her heart and then dropped to her side. She was grinning, and his father was standing next to her, the same proud smile shining on his face.

The first night, the graduates celebrated on their own - dancing, music, and drinking long into the wee hours of the night. But despite everything, Remy's favorite celebration was between just him and Darcy. They stole a bottle of whiskey out of his father's stash and climbed to the top of her family's home. Laying some blankets out on the roof they drank and talked all night long, watching the stars before they fell asleep. Remy woke with the sunrise the next morning, Darcy asleep next to him. 

8888

If there was one thing he hated about the Guilds, it was their parties. Remy hated the pageantry of it all, but if the Guilds were good at one thing, it was tradition. He had earned his full Colors only a month earlier - which meant they were still celebrating. But no matter how many times he retied the tie around his neck, it always felt like it was strangling him. He checked his reflection in the mirror one last time - a formal suit with his tie and pocket square in his Colors, his eyes hidden by his glasses and hair half-up. He pulled on his trenchcoat overtop of it, still getting used to its weight on his shoulders. Straightening out the fall of the coat, he smiled. 

Of course, there was one part of these parties that he had always loved - his Darcy's joy every time she got to play dress up. She got so excited about it, and he couldn't help but imagine how excited she would be when she got to dress up for their wedding someday.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Henri lean against the door frame. “Quit actin' like y'r bein' sent t' y'r death, _oui_?” he snarked, rolling his eyes at his younger brother. If someone had asked Henri, he would have said that Remy LeBeau was the most dramatic _couillon_ that he ever met. Remy would say the same thing about Henri. But if you asked anyone who knew both brothers, they would say that it was a family trait - one that they had learned from their father. “ _Mais_ , y' might even enjoy y'rself.”

Remy cursed under his breath. Leave it to his brother to show up uninvited like that. “Shut up, Henri.”

“ _Mais_ , y’d think y’ would at least pretend like y’ was havin’ fun.” Henri pointed out. “De party’s for y’, after all.”

“Well Remy didn’t ask for it, did he?” he shot back, elbowing past his brother. Henri fell into step next to him, the pair of them walking down the hall on silent feet. Jean-Luc was waiting for them at the top of the staircase, waiting to go downstairs. The party itself was being held in the LeBeau home, in the ballroom downstairs. It was one of the rooms that was never really used outside of formal occasions, much like a large portion of the house. The only rooms that were actually used on a regular basis were a small portion of the living quarters, the kitchen, Jean-Luc's office, and a small room that they had all decided to use as a sort of planning room for jobs. Everything else was shut up unless necessary.

He took in one last deep breath before his Papa threw open the doors, following both of the other men into the party. Despite having rung in the year nineteen ninety-seven a few months before, the ballroom looked like it had been transported back to the eighteen hundreds. That was the time when the Guilds had been at the height of their power - when the midnight moon meant that no one up to any good was out and about - and they had modeled most things after the time period. Women in pastel-colored dresses filled the room, their skirts swirling along the floor - a few in darker dresses to denote rank. Petticoats held them out wide and corsets cinched waists in small in classic southern belle style.

A long line of women fluttered around in front of him, each of them trying to catch either his or Henri's eyes. Both of the LeBeau boys rolled their eyes - Remy's heart had already been captured, and Henri wasn't looking to settle down anytime soon. Still, they took in the room around them, first checking it over to find every possible entrance and exit, then to find one person in particular.

“Dere she is.” he breathed the words out, voice so low that only Henri even heard him. “ _Merde_ , she looks so _beau_.” All that he could see was a head of dark hair and a blue dress, but he already knew it was her.

“ _Mais_ , Remy.” Henri sighed, shaking his head in mock frustration. “Get over dere already, ‘fore y’r droolin’ ruins y’r clothes.”

“Shut up, Henri.”

He was stopped before he could make it halfway across the room to his intended target. Jean-Luc stepped into his path, a blonde woman on his arm. The pair looked like something out of a Civil War painting - and if his eyes were telling him the truth, that might have been what things would turn into.

“ _Mon fils_ ,” his Papa called out, drawing his son's attention and that of the people around them. “I would like t’ introduce y’ t’ _Mlle._ Belladonna Bourdeaux. _Mademoiselle_ , this is my younger son, Remy.”

His first thought was to wonder why there was an Assassin on Thieves territory, but that quickly slipped to the back of his mind when he saw the look that his father was giving him. It said to play nicely or he would soon come to regret it. So Remy held his tongue, and turned all of his attention to the assassin in the room.

She was tall and thin, with a lithe muscular frame, her blonde hair arranged in an intricate knot pinned to the back of her head and icy blue eyes. Her dress was in her Guild's colors - layers of scarlet fabric embroidered with black floral designs. Ribbons and lace were in her hair, a corset drawing in her waist and a string of pearls around her neck. But even as they were being introduced, his eyes moved away from her face, searching the room again until he found a familiar brunette figure. He finally found her, standing with Henri in a corner of the room. The two of them were watching the ladies on the dance floor, pointing them out to each other and making obvious fun of them.

Darcy met Remy's eyes from across the room, and the look on his face made her laugh. He looked like he had swallowed one of his Tante's potions by mistake. Henri was standing with her, and they both appeared to be making fun of his misfortune. His eyes narrowed - he would get back at them for it later. For now, he had to turn on the charm for a moment. So he bent over, bowing low to the lady and kissing the back of her hand, as was expected. Every time he made the motion, he had to fight back a smile because he could hear Darcy in the back of his mind, complaining about how old-fashioned the gesture was. But the lady in front of him just gave a small smile, her eyes sparking with interest as she looked him over. “A pleasure t’ meet y’, _mademoiselle_.” he purred, flashing a grin that he knew made hearts melt. 

But the eyes that met his were full of ice instead. One elegantly shaped eyebrow rose as she looked him over, seemingly unimpressed with what she saw. Still, they were forced to be together for at least a few minutes, and they both knew it. So Remy swallowed his pride, and held out his hand. “Shall we dance, _mademoiselle_?”

He wasn't sure what his Papa wanted out of this, but he already knew that _Mlle._ Bourdeaux wasn't his type. She was too reserved, too icy. She was a queen among women, that much was true - and deadly to boot. But queen or no, his heart still belonged to an angel.

The pair made their way to the middle of the dance floor, assuming their positions just as the band finished one song and began the next. They bowed to each other, and then the dance began.

"You impress me, LeBeau." Belladonna noted, her voice kept low to avoid being overheard. All around them was the buzz of laughter and pleasant conversation - most people were here to celebrate, not talk business. "Not even eighteen an' a Master Thief - it is quite impressive."

“ _Merci, Mlle. _” he replied, nodding slightly to show his respect. “And what about y’r own feats?” he asked. He had heard a lot of things about the younger Bourdeaux - all of them terrifying. “A full assassin already?”__

__She was the picture of modesty with her reaction, but there was still a hint of pride in her eyes even as she answered his unspoken question. “I don’t like t’ brag.”_ _

__“ _Connerie._ ” he replied, waving it off. There wasn’t a single person in either Guild who got to where they were because they didn’t like to brag. It was a necessary skill in their line of work, subtly telling everyone your accomplishments without leaving a trail for police to follow. “Everyone likes t’ brag.”_ _

__Her eyes flashed, but he couldn’t tell whether it was murderous intent or amusement that danced in them. “M’ papa says it isn’t ladylike.”_ _

__Remy was about to say where her papa could stick it when he was stopped._ _

__"May I cut in?" A familiar voice asked, and Remy couldn't help the way his shoulders slumped in relief at the sight of his brother hand-in-hand with his _ange_. Belladonna looked surprised by the interruption, but also like she knew she couldn't say no. So she bowed out gracefully, taking a step away from the younger LeBeau._ _

__Remy bowed to the woman in front of him, holding out his hand to the woman in front of him. “Dance with me, _Mlle_ Lerisse?” he asked, trying to play off the eager tone in his voice. He wanted to be more familiar with her - sweep her up in his arms, call her _mon ange_ \- but this wasn't the place for that sort of familiarity and they both knew it._ _

__Darcy smiled, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “Always, _mon prince_.”_ _

__They traded partners, and Remy shot his brother a grateful look as his Darcy smiled at him. She looked stunning - not that she didn’t always look that way, he quickly amended. Her deep blue dress - the color of a Healer, and one of the only dark dresses in a sea of pastels - clung to her waist and hips, the corset that he knew her father forced her to wear making her waist even tinier. It was simpler in design than most of those in the room, none of the jewels and pearls woven into it that some of the younger girls had. Her skirts swirled out around her with every step she took, moving perfectly in sync with him, and her dark hair was curled in ringlets, flowing down her back with small white flowers woven into it. They had all the steps to the dances down to muscle memory by that point, making it easier for them to talk and laugh and catch up. The King of the Guild - also known as Remy’s father - had been giving them both more and more assignments. It was nice - they were both getting to use their training in the way that it had been meant to be used - but it kept them apart from each other more often than not. Still, they enjoyed their time together, managing to sneak away with a bottle of wine to a back corner of the garden. He pulled her along behind him, both of them laughing and drunk on expensive wine and adrenaline._ _

__“Remy, we’re gonna get caught!” Darcy hissed, but still giggling as he pulled her along behind him. There was something about sneaking away from everyone inside, out in the thick New Orleans air, that made her feel almost giddy._ _

__But Remy shook his head. “Non, _mon ange_.” he replied, looking back to smile at her. “We’ve never been caught before - why would dis time be any different?” The energy was racing around him, everything screaming at him to draw a charge from it. Maybe make fireworks for his _femme_ to enjoy. Still, he held back the urge - his energy was unique, and an obvious marker of where he was. He didn’t want to be found just yet._ _

__They lasted for almost fifteen more minutes before running into the King himself. Jean-Luc LeBeau stared them down, somehow looking even more intimidating in a three-piece suit than he did in his all grey Thief’s gear. His arms were crossed over his chest, and deep brown eyes glared at the two of them like they were a particularly stubborn safe that didn’t want to crack._ _

__“Remy Etienne,” his father said, and he felt her squeeze his hand one last time before slipping her hand out of his. He would have been irritated about it if he hadn’t wanted to do the exact same thing - his Papa had been testy about their relationship as of late, and he didn’t want to give the man any more reasons to be upset. “You are supposed t’ be spending time with _Mademoiselle Bordeaux_ , not sneakin’ off t’ play de _oiseaux et les abeilles_ wit' Miss Lerisse."_ _

__Despite everything, Remy blushed at the insinuation. As much as he would love to find himself in that position with his femme, he wasn’t going to do it at a party. Particularly not one where there was every chance of someone coming to look for them. “We weren’t -”_ _

__His Papa cut him off before he could say another word. “I don’t want t’ hear it.” he sighed, waving off any excuses that his son could possibly come up with. “Go. Find _Mlle._ Bourdeaux an’ apologize for runnin’ off on her like dat.” he commanded, before turning his attention to the short brunette. “An’ as for y’, Miss Lerisse, stay away from my son.”_ _

__Darcy nodded, her head bowed as she accepted the order. “Yes, my king.” she bowed out of the conversation, turning on her heels to go back to the party. Her wide skirts barely squeezed through the path, and for the first time in her life, she hated them. Truthfully, she had known that the order was coming for a long time - despite her importance to the Guild, there was no way that anything could come of her relationship with Remy. He was a Prince, and the younger one at that - any marriage that he had would have to be a beneficial match. Not one that united him with someone who couldn’t bring the Guild anything in return._ _

__Still, she waited - for one last goodbye._ _

__8888_ _

__“Remy.” Jean-Luc’s voice was stern, and his son tensed. Whatever was coming, he wasn’t going to like it. He already didn’t like where this was going - he could feel Darcy’s heart breaking when his father banned her from seeing him. But his brain was already looking for the loopholes in that order, ways that he could see his _ange_ without full-on disobeying his King._ _

__“ _Oui_ , Papa?”_ _

__“I want y’ to stay away from dat girl, Remy.” his Papa warned, a stern expression on his face. Remy could feel his heart sinking in his chest - in all his life, he had never directly disobeyed an order, whether it was coming from his Papa or his King. But this was the one time that he was going to have to. “Y’r de heir t’ de Guild - it’s time y’ start actin’ like it.”_ _

__He watched his father walk away, a scowl twisting his face. He understood why his father acted the way he did - really. Duty had been drilled into Remy's head from the moment he became a LeBeau. He just didn’t have to like it._ _

__He knew she was still nearby, could still hear what he would say. “ _Je suis desole, mon ange._ ” he said, the words heavy in his throat. “M’ Papa…”_ _

__“ _Je sais_ , Remy.” her words were quiet, coming from behind him. He could hear her footsteps, and he turned to face her, taking in the sight of her. Her curls had gone just a little bit limp, some of the flowers had fallen out of her hair. Her dress was still perfect, but at some point in the night she had lost her gloves. “He wants what’s best for y’.” And while she didn’t say it out loud, her thoughts were audible - _he doesn’t think I’m what’s best.__ _

__"He's gonna try even harder t' keep us apart, _ange_." Remy said softly, pressing his lips to the crown of her head. He sounded defeated, like he was already giving up hope._ _

__"We’ll figure somet’in’ out." Darcy promised, leaning up to press a kiss to his cheek. "Y' made me a promise, remember?"_ _

__"I ain't ever gonna leave y'." He promised her, repeating what he told her before every job he went on. It was an old promise, one that they had built the foundation of their relationship on. One that they would never break._ _

__No matter what stood in their way._ _

__8888_ _

__After that, they had to be more careful about their meetings. Remy would sneak over to her house, with Henri making up an excuse for his absence. And her parents were always willing to have him over - anyone who liked gator as much as he did was always welcome in her home, her mother said._ _

__They would train together in the dead of night, trading stolen kisses and heavy blows. A familiar golden glow would fill the night sky as Darcy healed their injuries before sending him back home for the night. Henri would meet him there with a window open, always rolling his eyes with a quip ready about swamp rats._ _

__He would go with Bella during the day like his Papa asked. But the nights under the full Spanish moon, surrounded by the chirping of crickets and the music of the bayou? Those, he reserved for his _ange_._ _


	6. Chapter 6

She sighed, putting down her mortar and pestle as soon as she heard the bell over the door of Mattie's shop ring, shoving her glasses back up the bridge of her nose as she turned to face them. The sound of at least five men coming in could be heard, and she just hoped that they didn’t break anything this time. The last time that they had come in, it had taken her a week to find the last of the devil’s shoestring that they had knocked over. “Put de _diable_ on de table!” she called, quickly putting everything away. Luckily she didn’t have any time-sensitive things going right now, otherwise, she would have had to actually kill them. It didn’t matter that they were highly trained Thieves - anyone stopping her in the middle of a time-sensitive tonic or tincture had to deal with the consequences.

She didn't even have to look to know who would be on the table, already knowing just from the sheer number of people with him. These days, Jean-Luc didn’t let his son go anywhere without a few guards, no matter how much he said that he didn’t need them. Tensions between the two Guilds were at an all time high, and there seemed to be no end in sight. Both sides were striking out at random, hoping to hit an important target. And somehow, Remy always seemed to take the brunt of it, no matter how many guards he had with him.

“We've got t’ stop meetin’ dis way, _mon ange_.” He purred, one hand holding a torn and bloodied shirt to the wound in his chest.

“Dis is y'r own _faute_ , y’ idiot.” She chided, not even bothering to hide her eye roll. Some of the newer Thieves were shocked at the way that she talked to their prince, but the older ones just smirked, settling in to watch the show. If anyone could tame the flashy Cajun prince, it was the down-to-earth _guérisseuse_. “If y could keep yr head on straight for more dan five seconds, den maybe y'd make it back home in one piece.”

“That is no way to speak to your Prince.” one of the newer thieves interrupted, his accent marking him as one who wasn’t completely in the know just yet. It took years to learn every detail about the Guild, but those who were local knew more - they knew of the Healer who offered her services to those in need, even if they weren’t part of the dark side of the city.

She snorted under her breath as she took in his injury, noting the severity of it as her mind started to come up with what to use to fix it. She also cataloged his pecs and biceps, but stored that information away for later consideration. While her healing powers went a long way, she had learned to save them for big things and rely on her herbs and potions for the rest. “Den he better start actin’ like a Prince, ‘stead of a _couillon_.” she shot back, rolling her eyes. She made her way behind the counter, carefully picking different jars off of the shelves, knowing what each ingredient did just by looking at its name. She had been studying these plants for a little under a decade by now, and knew them all by heart at this point. Which ones worked best with what, which mixtures would have the least side effects… she put everything together as quickly as possible, determined to get her prince back on his feet.

“But den Remy wouldn't get t’ see 'is _ange noir_.” that was enough to have all the Thieves snapping to attention, and she smiled. That name - _l’ange noir_ , the antithesis of _le diable blanc_ \- was as much of a death sentence as it was praise. _Le diable blanc_ was the one who went out and flirted with the masses, promising a good time with an easy smile and red-on-black eyes. But _l’ange noir_ clung to the shadows for the most part, perfectly content with her plants and books. The devil brought earthly riches and the promise of pleasure, but the angel decided life or death.

None of the Thieves ever expected _l'ange_ to be a curvy brunette in Daisy Dukes.

“An’ what if I just let y’ bleed out, hm?” she challenged, not moving an inch closer to him. Instead, she settled against the countertop, measuring out her ingredients and adding them all into her mortar bowl. She picked up her pestle, settling herself into the familiar rocking motion as she ground everything together. “What are y’ gonna do den?”

He pouted, and she had to work to hide her smile. “Y'r tearin’ me t’ pieces, _cherie_.” He said, barely hiding his wince of actual pain as he moved to jokingly place a hand over his heart. “ _La belle dame sans merci_.” He got up from where his guards had placed him, carefully making his way to where she stood.

She swatted at his arm softly, moving him to lean against the counter next to her. “Don't y’ move, y’ _diable_. Y’r makin’ it worse.” she scolded. She finished mashing the herbs together, quickly applying the resulting paste to his skin. Her touches were light and gentle, but sparks flew with every touch - when they got to see each other so rarely, it made every touch that much more electric.

“I can make it better.” he promised, his voice low enough that the others could barely hear his words. And even if they could make out what he was saying, they wouldn’t have heard the heat in his words the way that she did.

She snorted, shaking her head. “Oh I’m sure y’ can.”

“How’ve y’ been, _ange_?” Remy asked, keeping his voice low. His guards moved around the room, giving them some semblance of privacy. It wasn’t much, but it was enough. “Been awhile since I got t’ see y’.”

“‘S been okay.” she said, faking optimism. “Mama’s been missin’ y’ - says y’ and Henri need t’ come for dinner soon. Let him know, _sil tu plait_.”

Remy nodded, gently grabbing her wrist for a moment. The pair locked eyes, a thousand things said in that simple gesture. “Of course.”

“ _Merci_.” she whispered her reply, before clearing her throat. She quickly bandaged him up, before turning to his honor guard. She singled out one in particular - Beau, who had been Remy’s right hand for years. “Right. Make sure he keeps it clean, an’ have him put dis on it every _quatre heures_.”

“ _Quoi_?” Remy asked, looking offended. “Why y’ tellin’ him?”

She rolled her eyes, ignoring the muffled laughter coming from their audience. “Cause I know y’ ain’t gonna do it, so if I tell him mebbe it’ll get done.”

“ _Merci, Guérisseuse_.” one of the Thieves - the newcomer who had tried to tell her off earlier - said, bowing slightly.

She bowed back, already turning back to the ingredients that she had been using before they arrived. If she didn’t have it ready for tomorrow, Mattie would skin her. "Now get, _diable_ , before de King comes looking for y'." 

He climbed up off of the cot, grabbing her hand and pulling her close before she could put too much space between them. " _Je t'aime, Mon ange_." He said, pressing a hard and fast kiss against her mouth. With that done, he left, his guards following along behind him.

8888 

Remy was nervous. It was rare that his Papa summoned him to his office - even Henri didn't know what was going on, and his brother usually knew everything. He was afraid that he had been caught with his _ange_ , but he didn’t think that that was the case. None of his guards would have said anything, they were all loyal to him. He made his way through the house, heading away from the actual living space and towards the front of the house, which was mainly for show and when they had company over.

He knocked on the office door when he got there, leaving a few seconds between the sound and when he opened the door. Just enough of a pause to be noticeable, but not enough of one to be considered stalling. He walked into the office, carefully setting himself down in a chair on the opposite side of his father’s desk.

"Thief Prince." His Papa said, nodding his head slightly, and Remy startled slightly at the formality. Still, he adapted quickly, bowing low to the man in front of him. 

"Guildmaster.”

Jean-Luc paused, looking out the window for a moment. That made Remy even more nervous - whatever he was going to say, the younger LeBeau wasn’t going to like it. “As you know, tensions between the Thieves and Assassins have been strong for centuries, and have only been growing worse.”

Remy nodded. “ _Oui_ , Guildmaster.” It was obvious that things were getting worse, even to people who didn’t know a thing about the Guilds. When even tourists stopped being easy marks - or at least not as easy as they used to be - that was when they knew that something was wrong.

The King of Thieves continued, his voice low and serious. “But they have a proposal to fix all that.”

"What is it?" Remy asked, his voice low and words drawn out. He was barely paying attention to the words being said, his mind racing as he tried to figure out exactly what was going on. Whatever his Papa was going to tell him, it wasn’t anything good if he was stalling like that.

“A marriage contract.”

Remy’s heart stopped, then started beating double-time. “Between who?” he asked, already knowing the answer by the presence of the Assassin in the room. Still, he hoped he was wrong - his father had been pushing him at a particular assassin lately, and he knew that that option would end in his death. Whether Belladonna killed him or he killed himself remained unseen.

Still, Jean-Luc said what Remy knew he would. “Between you and _Mademoiselle_ Bourdeaux”

“ _Quoi_?” Remy sank down in his chair, his head spinning. He couldn’t think - he knew that things had been getting worse, but he hadn’t known that they were this bad.

“Y've been gettin’ on well with _Mlle. _Bourdeaux." Jean-Luc pointed out, settling down in his chair.__

__He looked at his Papa like the man had lost the plot - and as far as he knew, he had. Yes, he and Belladonna had gotten to the point where they could have a semi-civilized conversation, but he wouldn’t call that getting on well. She would still pull a knife on him most of the time if he said something that she didn’t like - that was no basis for a relationship. "We get along well enough." He agreed hesitantly, wondering where exactly his father was going with the conversation._ _

__That was when his father dropped a bomb. “Y'r gonna marry de Assassin's daughter, _mon fils_. De banns will be posted on Sunday.” Jean-Luc said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “For de Guild.”_ _

__Of course, that wasn't going to keep Remy from trying to argue. “Papa, I’ve already -” he began, but Jean-Luc held up a hand, silencing his son before he could say anything._ _

__“It has already been decided.” his father said, a pointed look on his face. And of course, Remy knew that. Something this big would have been a point of contention for weeks or more, being analyzed from all angles. Every possible outcome, good or bad, would have been carefully considered._ _

__Remy bowed his head, knowing that at this point there was nothing that he could do. “ _Oui_ , Papa.” He agreed, completely solemn. His poker face was good, and this was one of the times that he was grateful for it. “For de guild.”_ _

__Jean-Luc looked wrecked - he had never meant to condemn his child to a relationship that he didn't want. Remy was happiest with Darcy by his side - it was more obvious when they were children, and over the years it had settled into a quiet peace, contentment. But the Guild and the possibility of peace came first. It always had, and it always will. “ _Je suis desole, mon fils. Vraiment._ ”. His Papa stood firm, lips pressed together in a tight line and hands clasped behind his back, the green of his official Thieves robes contrasting with the red and black of the Assassin standing next to him. But there was a sadness in his eyes - if he had a choice, he would not have chosen an arranged marriage for his younger son._ _

__"Remy knows, Papa." He said, mind already racing as he tried to figure out ways to get out of this._ _


	7. Chapter 7

He followed the path through the shadows that he had mapped out years earlier - twists and turns that he no longer needed a lamp to help him navigate. He had walked this path too many times in his life to stumble over it any more. He climbed up the side of the house, skipping over the loose bit of ivy and the crumbling brick right below Darcy’s window. The lock on it had never latched properly - not in all of the years that he had been using it for entry. It only took a few seconds to jimmy it open and carefully slide open the window. He barely got his head through the window when he froze, a knife at his throat. The woman wielding it had been hidden in the shadows next to the window, moving there as soon as she heard the rattling of the trellis against the wall. He grinned, eyes flashing with amusement. “ _Bon soir, mon ange_.”

“Remy?” Darcy said, stepping out of the shadows. She pulled her blade away, slipping it into a holster on her thigh even as she scowled at him. “I could've killed y’!”

“But y’ didn't.” He shot back, climbing in through her window and grinning when she helped him down off of the ledge. Her hair was braided back in twin plaits and tied off with ribbons, her day clothes swapped out for sleep shorts and a loose top that had once belonged to him. Her eyes were still bleary with sleep, and yet she would have killed him in a heartbeat if he was anyone else.

“What are y’ doin’ in m’ bedroom, Remy?” A leering look crossed his face and she shoved at his arm, unable to help the returning grin that crossed her face. “Y’ know what I meant. Y’ aren’t supposed t’ be here till tomorrow, and y’ only come early when somet’in’s wrong. What happened?”

Her question was enough to remind him why he had come, and his smile fell away. “Run away wit’ me.” he said, a fierce intensity in his eyes. He moved closer to her, grabbing his hand in her own and lacing their fingers together.

She stopped midway through putting her glasses on, her mouth falling open in surprise. While they had talked about their future many times in the past, neither one of them had ever even thought of leaving New Orleans behind. Their plan had always been to get married, take over the Guild from Jean-Luc when the time came, and live out their days in bliss. Maybe even have a few children of their own someday. This… this threw a wrench in all their plans, and she couldn’t understand why for the life of her. Something had to have happened since the last time she had seen him, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. “ _Quoi? Pourquoi_?”

“Dey're gonna make Remy marry Belladonna.”

“ _Non._ ” Her face fell, a stormy look in her eyes at the very thought. Her eyes flashed gold for a moment and he felt nothing but pure relief at the knowledge that she wasn’t going to abandon him because of this. “Can dey do dat?”

“ _Oui_.” he said, already having given up on somehow getting out of it. Whenever his Papa wanted something done, it happened. He knew that the other man had been planning this for awhile - now all of the time spent throwing the blonde assassin at him made much more sense. “Which is why we gotta leave.” 

“ _Non_ , we can't do dat.” Darcy said, shaking her head, braids flying. There was a familiar stubborn look on her face - one that he preferred to see aimed at anyone else. “If y’ leave now, de Assassins will come for y'r family.”

“Remy don't care - dey can take care of demselves.”. he said, pressing a fervent kiss to the back of her hand, keeping it held in his as he pulled back slightly. “Been with y’ for _sept ans_ now, an’ I ain't goin’ t’ leave y' just because someone else tells me to."

And despite the smile on her face at his words, Darcy was torn. "Dis will save de Guild - stop de fightin'. An’ what about my family, _diable_? Mama and Papa?"

"I don't care about de Guilds." Remy repeated, shaking his head. "Your family will be fine - they won’t know anyt’in. _S'il tu plait, mon ange_ \- run away wit’ me.” He repeated, all but getting on his knees to beg. He was too prideful to do that, but they both knew that he would do it if she asked him to. "I’m not me wit’out y’. Just a T’ief wit’ a handful of cards."

Darcy’s heart was sinking - whatever happened tonight would decide their future. She was no Seer, but even she could tell that this was going to impact much more than either of them thought. “Remy, y’ got t’ think of your position.” she said, her voice quiet. “Y’ have a duty t’ de Guild.”

“I don’t care.” The terrifying thing was, she knew he was telling the truth. If his choice was between carrying on a two hundred-year-old legacy and her, he would choose her every time.

“What if I choose t’ leave y’?” Darcy challenged, raising an eyebrow at him. Both of them knew that she wouldn’t do that - neither one of them would leave the other behind if there was any other solution. “Go away on m’ own an’ leave y’ here?”

“Den I’ll follow y’ til y’ give in an’ take me with you.” he shot back, glaring at her like he was daring her to try and argue. "We both know y' won't get far without me findin' you." She could try, he knew, but for once he wouldn’t let her win. Henri had always said that it was just his luck to meet the one girl in the world as stubborn as he was. There was a moment where it looked like she was going to argue with him, before she deflated.

She huffed out a breath, already on her knees beside the bed, reaching underneath it to pull out the small safe hidden there. “Fine.” She agreed, already starting to pull out anything that she thought they might need. All of her cuts from jobs were shoved into a bag, along with fake IDs - she wouldn't use any of them, but it would help throw off anyone looking for them.

“Darcy…”

“Meet me at de Voler house in _la demie-heure._ ” she instructed, and he grinned, pulling her in for a rough kiss before slipping back out the window. He didn't know how he had gotten so lucky, to have someone who would leave everything they knew for him.

Darcy was wondering the exact same thing - she had found the one man in the world who would give up an entire kingdom for her.

8888

They ran away in the middle of the night, with only the frogs and lightning bugs as witnesses. They barely made it ten miles out of the Orleans Parish before they stopped in the first chapel that they could find that wouldn't throw Remy out. They got married - him in his trenchcoat and worn-out jeans and her in a faded blue sundress, a few tourists as their witnesses. They didn't have rings to exchange, instead promising to get some at the first opportunity. With that done, the marriage certificate clutched tightly in hand and the ink not even dry, they disappeared into the night once more.

" _Je t'aime, Mon Mari_." She whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek as they watched the Guilds descend on the church that they had just left. By all rights, they shouldn't have stayed at all, but it was a sick sort of fascination that kept them there.

" _Je t'aime, ma femme_." He replied, pressing a kiss against her temple in reply.

They kept moving, never staying in one town too long. Both of the Guilds were on their trail, and staying put only meant death. They stayed in each town for a week or so before moving on - the longest they ever stayed was a month. They picked up jobs and new identities as they ran, shedding old names and identification as easily as a snake shed its skin. Darcy would start in hospitals or back-alley surgeries, helping where she could. Remy took on jobs, anything from big robberies to petty cons.

For the bigger jobs, Darcy came with him. Always safe, always protected, but always present. People who had paid a large sum of money for her husband’s services were irritated when she showed up alongside him. They learned to deal with it. There was only one occasion where someone had protested her being there enough to try and take her away from what was happening.

_Le diable blanc _razed them to the ground.__

__They traveled the world that way - Remy called it their honeymoon. But Darcy disagreed. Not that she didn’t love it - every second was precious to her. But it was hard to enjoy yourself on a trip when you spent most of it looking over your shoulder._ _

__8888_ _

__Darcy and Remy traveled the world, seeing places that none of them had ever dreamed of. They hit the major tourist destinations - Italy, Paris, London, trying their best to stay under their guilds' radars - and any sleepy little town that they could in an effort to stay hidden. Moving from place to place, they kept their heads low, mainly drawing from their own funds to avoid being noticed. The pair of them had a decent amount of money stockpiled - Remy’s cuts from various jobs over the years, and the money that Darcy had from various high-profile patients._ _

__They lasted almost two years before it all ended._ _

__It was another sleepy morning, starting with the pair of them wrapped around each other in bed, the blankets pulled up around them. Remy shifted slightly in the bed, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. She shifted slightly in the bed, a sleepy smile crossing her face before she burrowed deeper into the blankets, mumbling about five more minutes. He couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped him, but let her have her time as he started to get up. He had kept her up too late the night before going over plans for a job that he was working on - the least he could do was make her coffee._ _

__His fingers brushed against the pillow as he moved to get up, and he froze when a familiar pink light started to spread across the fabric. It took more than a little concentration to pull the charge back into his body, but once he did he was wide awake. His heart was sinking in his chest, mind racing at a hundred miles an hour. His powers were becoming stronger, he knew that. It had been happening slowly, and he had thought that he would have been able to solve the problem himself without worrying Darcy. But that wasn't working - his powers were still growing unchecked. If he wasn't careful, he might end up hurting Darcy. His _ange_ , the last good thing he had in his life._ _

__That bit of information was what finally made up his mind. He couldn't stay anymore - not if it meant the possibility of hurting his wife. He had spent the last two years fighting to keep her safe from trouble that he caused - he wasn't about to ruin that now._ _

__8888_ _

__Remy looked around, committing the room to memory. He took in the go-bags outside the door, the clothes strewn across the floor. He memorized the photos on the walls, and the warm body still asleep in the middle of the bed. Then he climbed out of bed, and began to get dressed. He moved quickly and quietly so that he wouldn't wake her, pulling on the same clothes from the day before and braiding his hair tightly back against his scalp, tying it off with a strip of leather. With that done, he slipped on his coat, and bent over to kiss the crown of his wife's head._ _

__She stirred, and he held his breath, praying that she wouldn’t wake up. It would just make leaving that much harder. But she barely cracked an eye open, only enough to ask him what was going on. “I'm just gon’ go make some groceries fo’ breakfast.” He lied, laughing softly when her only reply was a muffled request for coffee._ _

__He wrote her a note on the back of one of his cards, quickly signing it. All it was was an apology, not a single word more._ _

__8888_ _

__When she woke up an hour later, it was to an empty house, a fresh pot of chicory coffee waiting in the kitchen. A single playing card - the queen of hearts - lay beside her, five words scribbled on the back in a familiar script. _Je suis desole, Mon ange.__ _


	8. Chapter 8

Three days had passed since Remy had disappeared before she woke up with no explanation. She had torn their house apart, looking for any sort of clue or anything. But his bag was gone, and there was a note left next to her side of the bed as an apology. That made her worry - it looked like he had planned to leave her, which didn’t make sense. She was still in shock, half expecting him to walk through the door with the groceries he promised her at any moment. She was supposed to leave their latest town today - it was part of their contingency plan in case the Guilds ever did manage to catch them. They had allowed three days to look for each other when coming up with the contingency plans, but then they had to leave and move on.

That was the theory that she had at the moment, anyway. One of the Guilds had to have finally caught up with them - it was the only theory that she could come up with that made any sense to her. It didn’t fit any of the facts that she had, but she didn’t want to think about that. Darcy LeBeau was happily living in the land of denial for the moment. Other possibilities had ran through her head, but none of them made any real sense. And since she hadn’t heard any chatter about the Thieves’ regaining their lost prince, that only left her with one option. 

One that made her sick with fear.

She put out feelers of her own, diving deep into the criminal underbelly of the world. There was one person in particular that she was looking for, and she wanted to get as close as possible without them knowing that she was there. She poured thousands of dollars into the search, every penny that she could possibly get her hands on. She paid off hackers and arms dealers, anyone who could create a fake ID. She compiled every bit of information that she could - she had helped to plan her father’s jobs for years before they ran away, and her husband’s for years after, and now she planned this like she would one of those. She only had one chance to do this, and to do it right.

After seventy-two hours of non-stop searching, she found who she was looking for - the only one who could conceivably be holding her husband. And for the first time in over two years, she pulled on her Colors, determined to get him back.

8888

They had set up their command post a few blocks away, but Belladonna had left it for the night, desperate not to think about the missing Thief Prince - her missing betrothed. She wasn’t even that upset that he had run away, she had never wanted to marry him in the first place. But it was her duty, and that was something that she would always uphold. But in her opinion, they were wasting far too many resources trying to find someone who didn’t want to be found. Her council said otherwise - that it was an insult to her honor and to the Assassin’s Guild, and that he should be killed for said insult. But they were still no closer to finding either him or the girl that he had run away with than they had been two years ago, when they first started looking.

She hadn’t even known that Darcy Lerisse was missing until they heard through the grapevine that the Thieves’ were also looking for their missing healer. She remembered the girl, barely - dark-haired and pale-eyed, they had met once at a Guild party for the Thieves that her father had forced her to attend. Belladonna remembered the way that Remy’s eyes had tracked the other woman across the room, needing to know where she was at all times. At one point, Henri LeBeau had come to ask her for a dance - during that song she had seen Remy on the other side of the ballroom, hand-in-hand with a woman in blue. And while she had figured that the woman had to be important to him - the man that she was going to be betrothed to - she hadn’t realized how important she was.

In order to get away from her men, she had left for the night, making her way to the only bar that the one-horse town had. It was dark and seedy, the bartop covered in more spilt beer than resin. All eyes turned to her as she walked in, but turned back to what they were doing when they saw her honour guards come in behind her. Really, she hadn’t wanted to bring them with her at all on this hunt - they drew too much attention. But her father, the King of Assassins, had insisted.

A dagger hit the wall next to Belladonna’s head, but the woman didn’t so much as flinch. Her guards drew their weapons, but she gestured for them to stand down. Whoever it was, they had impressed her - there weren’t many people who could track her down, let alone make it past her guards and get that close to killing her. They deserved the respect of a meeting, whoever they were. “De next one won’t miss.” a voice said, and Darcy Lerisse stalked out of the shadows. She was the opposite of the Assassin’s soon-to-be Queen - short and curvy, pale as the moon with a head of dark curls - but in that moment, she knew exactly why _L’Ange Noir_ was talked about with equal parts reverance… and fear. “Now, ‘m only gon’ ask y’once, _Mlle._ Bourdeaux - what did y’do t’ m’husband?”

Belladonna froze, her heart sinking in her chest. The woman in front of her was shaking in her grief - obviously distraught, and looking for her husband. But no one had found either Darcy or Remy yet - they had come close a few times, but no one had actually succeeded. But for Darcy to hunt down the ones hunting her, something had to have happened. Remy was gone. Which really meant only one thing - that he had left of his own free will.

"We haven't done anyt'in' to him." Bella said, her voice gentle. This was news that she wasn’t sure how to give. "No one has seen him since y' left New Orleans."

For a moment, Belladonna was afraid that the other woman was going to pass out - her face paled, and she staggered back a step or two. But she managed to get herself under control rather quickly - Bella was impressed. The two women had met before, on certain occasions. For the most part they stayed away from each other, though - they were opposites, one a healer, and the other an assassin. They didn’t exactly get along. Still, that didn’t mean that she wasn’t angry at Remy on the other woman’s behalf. “What?”

Despite her guards’ warnings, Belladonna got up from her chair, making her way to the other woman’s side. “I’m so sorry, _Mme._ LeBeau.” she offered, feeling awkward as she patted the other woman’s shoulder. Darcy was brokenhearted next to her.

But the dark-haired woman shook her head, quickly pulling herself together. Right now wasn’t the time to break down - she could do that later, when she wasn’t surrounded by Assassins. Wiping away her tears as she climbed to her feet, she said, “He wanted t' run, so I'm goin' t' let him - I just won't be waitin' when he stops bein' _couillon_.” her voice was full of steel, eyes flinty as she stared down the Assassin Queen. “I suggest y' do de same.” she said. “But me… 'm getting out of here before dey find me. I can’t afford t’ wait for them."

There was a moment when Darcy was sure that the other woman had left, and then a tanned hand rested on her arm, stopping her movements “Call me Belle, _Mme._ LeBeau.” She said, a small smile gracing her face. In that moment, she looked less like the Assassin she was, and more like the young woman that she was.

“Darcy, not _Mme._ LeBeau.” she said, turning to face the woman. “If we're going t' be civil, we should at least call each other by de right names.”

The blonde hesitated for a moment before pulling a business card out of her wallet, offering it to the other woman. “If y’ need anyt'in', just call.” The Assassin's Queen said, before melting into the shadows once more. Her guards moved with her, until the only proof that she had been there at all was the business card in Darcy’s hand and the remnants of a bottle of whiskey sitting on a table.

She waited for a moment to give Belle time to leave before going to walk out herself. She still had to go to their last home and pack up her things.

"I always knew dat Remy would choose y’." Belle said softly, startling Darcy - she hadn't heard the woman come back. "Just never t'ought he'd be _couillon_ enough t' leave."

Darcy laughed, an angry, bitter sound. “ _Je sais ce sentiment._ Me either.”

8888

_Meanwhile, in the heart of the Louisiana Bayou…_

Jean-Luc came into the shop with all of the subtlety of a raging hurricane. “Two years, Mattie.” he snarled, coming to a halt just a few inches in front of the Seer. “Two years since _mon fils_ disappeared, an’ de fighting is only getting worse.” the man sighed, running a hand down his face before using it to comb through his hair. Hair that had once been a dark chestnut brown had started to grey, causing little patches of silver at his temples. All of his anger and bravado left him in one fell swoop, and his body sagged. “I didn’t want dis for him.” he admitted, his voice soft. “Not for m’boy. But y’promised me dat he would bring peace.” some of his anger came back as he stared her down. It was almost a ridiculous image, really. Jean-Luc LeBeau was six feet and four inches of pure muscle, a king in his own right. On the other hand, Mattie Baptiste was a tiny and wizened old woman, her hair as white as the rattlesnake root she was currently working with.

“But things just keep getting worse.” the Thief King continued. “My younger boy is gone, an’ m’oldest will barely speak t’me. An’ for what?”

But Mattie Baptiste just smiled, looking as calm as she always did. She barely even looked up from what she was doing. “Some t’ings take deir time in comin’, chile.” Out of everyone that he had ever met, Mattie was the only one who would have the audacity to call him that. “Peace is one of dose t’ings.”

“It’s been almost ten years, Mattie!” Jean-Luc protested. “Ten years since y’ first made me that promise. How much more time do we need?”

Her reply was as cryptic as she was. “Not too much longer, chile.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I lost track of the days. Sorry!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is so late today, folks! It's been a busy day.

It was another month before Belladonna received a phone call from Darcy that had her flying out to where she was living on the first plane she could catch. She brought Darcy back home with her, back to New Orleans for six months while both Guilds searched for her all over the country, still under the impression that Remy was with her. But she had been trained as a Thief - she knew how to hide in plain sight with the best of them. The only one who knew where she was was Belladonna herself. 

When Belladonna arrived after she had gotten the phone call, she tore through the town, praying that she would get there quickly. Whatever had happened, it was bad if the sheer panic in the other woman’s voice had been anything to go on. The pair hadn’t talked to each other since Remy’s disappearance - that alone was enough to make the assassin worried as to why the thief had reached out now. She found Darcy curled up on the floor of her motel room, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the piece of plastic in her hands.

There was a teary look on the brunette’s face as she told her new-found friend, "T’ink I got a little _lagniappe_ ,” with one hand pressed over her stomach. Belle hugged the other woman, silently swearing to kill Remy LeBeau when she got her hands on him.

After that, the two became thick as thieves. The Assassin Queen smuggled her back into New Orleans - there was no way that Belle could leave the Crescent City for any length of time, but there was also no way that she was leaving the brunette alone through everything. Belle helped Darcy through the worst bits of her pregnancy, looking for Remy to bring him back to the pregnant woman even when all she wanted to do was kill the man. Still, they didn’t find anything - the man was almost too good at hiding. In return, Darcy taught her a few tricks of her trade. How to run cons, the best places to steal from if you were in need of a quick dollar.

8888

Belle was panicking, she didn’t have a clue as to what she needed to do. This was as far removed from her job as was possible - her job was killing people. This was the opposite. Darcy was screaming in the seat next to her, clutching at the armrests in a deadly grip. 

They had been having lunch when Darcy shifted uncomfortably in her chair, her expression going slightly slack when she realized what was going on. “Darcy?” Belle asked, stopping mid-sentence. “ _Est-ce que tu vas bien_?”

“M’water broke.” her voice was so quiet, Belladonna wasn’t even sure if she had heard the other woman correctly. But there was a fresh sort of panic in the brunette’s eyes, and that could only mean one thing. “De _bébé_ is coming.”

8888

The hospital waiting room was packed full of people, but they made exceptions for the woman who was threatening to have her baby in the middle of a hallway if they didn’t get her a bed. As much as Belladonna didn’t like it, she had to let the nurses take her away while she filled out any relevant paperwork.

Of course, the very first question that the nurse asked made her panic. “What is the patient’s name?”

Belladonna’s mind was racing - they couldn’t use her real name. Both Guilds had an alert on the last name ‘LeBeau’, looking for anything in the system that could lead them to the pair. If Darcy turned up in a hospital in New Orleans, every guild member would be at the door in minutes. “Darcy Bourdeaux.” she lied, watching as the nurse filled in the proper forms. “She’s _m’souer_.” After that, the other questions were far easier to answer.

The labor and birth were intense, made worse by Darcy herself. She kept fighting with the doctors, insisting that she could handle everything on her own. 

Finally, they called Belladonna in, asking for her help. The blonde stormed into the room, hair flying out behind her as she made a beeline for the brunette that kept trying to climb out of her hospital bed.

“Bella, tell de _fils de putain docteurs_ t’ listen t’me! I know what I’m talkin’ about.” Darcy asked. Her face was covered in sweat, her hair hanging limply around her face. The hospital gown that she wore was a few sizes too big, and would be even worse once her baby wasn’t inside of her any longer. Her glasses were on her face - for some reason, the further that she had gotten in her pregnancy the more she had hated wearing contacts - helping to hide just how red her face had become. She was braced against the side of the bed, coaching herself through a contraction.

“Y’ may be de best _guérisseuse_ dis city’s ever seen - delivered more bayou _bebes_ dan anyone else in this town - but even y’ can’t deliver y’r own _bebe_.” Belle shot back. Her initial words weren’t threatening, but the follow-up was as she scolded her friend. “Now lay y’r ass down an’ let de doctors take care of y’, _mais_ y’ ain’t gonna like what I do. _Comprende_?” the entire room seemed to hold its breath as they waited to see what would happen next. But when their patient did as she was told, they all let out that breath in a collective sigh of relief.

“M’ not ready, Bella. _Je ne peux pas faire ça tout seul. J’ai besoin mon diable, j'ai besoin de_ Remy.” she was rambling, repeating the same phrases over and over again. Belladonna stood next to the bed, taking Darcy’s hand in her own. She kept her voice low when she replied, not wanting the doctors to hear what she was saying.

“Don’t y’ start wit’ me, Darcy Lerisse.” Belladonna whispered. “Y’re de strongest woman I’ve met, an’ y’ ain’t gonna let dis change dat.”

“Be her _marraine, sil tu plait_.”

Bella agreed in the same breath. Neither were surprised when the newest LeBeau was born with crimson eyes - her irises the same shade as her father's. Her mother named her Marie Etienne Lerisse on all of the official documents - the Guilds couldn’t come after her if they didn’t have a paper trail on another LeBeau to follow.

But despite Belle's offers, the Lerisse women only stayed in New Orleans for a few months before leaving. 

8888

Belle kissed her goddaughter on the forehead, then kissed Darcy on each cheek. She had been coming up with excuses to keep the two of them in New Orleans with her for the past few months since Marie had been born, but Darcy had finally put her foot down, saying it was time for them to go. “Y’ make sure dat y’ call, oui?” she demanded. Despite the years having mellowed her out slightly since they were teenagers, Belladonna Bourdeaux was still every inch the queen she appeared to be - her every word was law. “Do y’ know what y’r gonna do?” she asked, worried about her friend.

Darcy shook her head. “ _Non_ \- got no idea.” she admitted, a small smile on her face as she said it. “We just can’t stay here any longer - it isn’t safe. Dey’re still lookin’ for us.”

But Belle scoffed. “I can keep you hidden.” she said, not for the first time. And as much as she liked the idea of her daughter growing up where she - and Remy - had, Darcy also knew that it was a terrible idea in terms of safety. Raising her daughter in the backyard of both Guilds was asking for death to be handed to her.

Besides, she had spent her entire life so far in the shadows of the Guild - of her prince. It was time for her to make her own choices. 

She gave Belle one last hug, carefully cradling Marie in between them. After securing the infant in the backseat of a stolen car, she stiffened in surprise when the Assassin pulled her in once more. “ _Au revoir, Madame LeBeau_.” Belle said, slipping something into her bag as she pulled away. “May life treat you well until we meet again.”

Darcy smiled, blinking hard to keep her tears at bay. In the short time that they had known each other, she and Belladonna had grown closer than she had ever been with another woman - they were sisters in all but blood. It was going to be almost impossible to leave her behind. But if Belle was caught hiding her from the Guilds, it wouldn’t matter that she was the next to inherit control. She would be killed, and disgraced as a traitor. Darcy couldn’t let that happen to her friend, which meant she had no choice but to leave. So she pressed one last kiss to the blonde’s cheek, then got in the car and drove away.

It was only after she drove away that she checked to see what Belladonna had given her. Ten thousand dollars stuffed into an envelope, and a taser with a holster. She played with the weapon for a moment, admiring the colors of the melted plastic. They flashed in green and blue, and she couldn't help but laugh - they were the colors of Thieves and the only Healer left.

8888

After leaving New Orleans for the second time, they traveled up and down the country, with Darcy setting up her tent everywhere they went - sideshows, town fairs, beach side carnivals and amusement parks. Once she even set up in a motel parking lot, pitching her tent and putting her sign out front. She would arrive without fanfare, without any special tricks - just a plain cloth tent. She wore a mask and her Healer’s cloak whenever she set up and was in her tent, only taking it off in the dead of night when she closed down her tent and disappeared into the darkness. Her sign said the same thing everywhere she went: _Raphael can help… for a price._

 _L’ange noir_ had returned. It was good to have the work itself to do - it almost made things feel normal. The only difference was that she was doing them all now with a baby strapped to her chest. Some of the plants that she needed were hard to get - vervain and mugwort were controlled substances, and other roots and herbs were expensive. But she managed, stealing what she needed when she could.

Marie became her assistant as she got older, distracting people with cute stories or a hug so that Darcy could quickly heal the worst injuries and diseases. If anyone made a fuss about Marie's eyes, they were quickly shown the door.

The price varied depending on who it was - she helped small children for the price of a hug or a story. Some people she would help for a recipe or a song, or a small trinket. But there were others that paid the price for the use of her gifts - and they paid handsomely.

By the time Marie was a toddler, she had made enough money to enroll in her first year of college, choosing Culver University as her Alma Mater. It didn't hurt that she pickpocketed half of the people she came across - pulling the money from their wallets and replacing them before they were any the wiser.

After a while, she decided on Political Science as her major - both to help the mutant population and minorities in general. Of course, there was the little voice in the back of her head that said that she would be able to use it if she ever returned to the Guild. Politics was a game that everyone played there. But that voice was quickly silenced - there was no chance of her ever returning there.

Of course, she still had a few more places that she wanted to pitch her tent before she retired.

8888

Stories of the healer Raphael had made their way across the country. And while most people took it as just another fairytale - the woman who appeared in the dead of night, who could heal any injury with her glowing hands and eyes - one particular man in Upstate New York heard them, and took them to heart. To the point where he was ready to do some digging of his own.

Someone knocked on the door, and the man behind the desk smiled. He had been expecting them for the last few minutes, ever since he had summoned them. The door cracked open, showing a head of blond hair and a pair of broad shoulders. Wings sprouted out of them, hanging loosely at the moment. “You wanted to see me, Professor?” Warren Worthington III asked.

“Yes, come in Warren. I've received reports of a new mutant - one traveling across the country." The Professor said, wheeling himself out from behind his desk. The winged man came into the room, settling down on the couch and angling his wings out behind him so that he could stay comfortable. "They're calling themself Raphael." It only took him a few minutes to explain the full situation, but once he did, Warren just stared at him.

“So someone is traveling the country calling themselves after an angel and supposedly performing miracles." Warren summarised, sounding incredulous. He had been with the X-Men for a long time now, and this was stranger than anything he had seen in that time. Fantastical cures were just that - too fantastic to be true. There was something else at play here, he was sure of it. "Are we sure this isn't some kind of a hoax?"

Professor Xavier raised a brow, a small smirk playing across his face. “That's up to you to find out.” he moved back over to his desk, picking up the file that he had before handing it to the other man.

“I want you to go talk to them,” he said, “see if you can convince them to join the team.”

Warren huffed out a breath, flipping through the file that he had been given. There were testimonies, pictures of injuries that had been healed. There was also a rudimentary map - one composed of satellite images so that he could easily follow it from the air.

8888

Warren managed to track the sightings of the mutant known as Raphael to a town only a few hours away from the Institute. He had flown, following the map that the Professor had given him. Once he was close enough, he landed - not wanting to have anyone from the town see him, he landed a few miles away. He walked the rest of the way, stopping at the first diner that he saw. It was early enough that the food would still be at its best, but late enough that he could talk to the people who worked there. It was well known that restaurants were the best places for gossip - everyone knew everything that went on, and the gossip flew around quicker than the waitresses themselves. They might have known something that only the townspeople knew.

He made his way inside, seating himself at the first available booth that he came to. 

"Hey dere, _cher_." He looked up at the waitress in front of him, all curves and snowy pale skin. Dark hair was piled on top of her head, a pale streak woven into the look. Her accent definitely wasn't local, with too much of a southern drawl to be from anywhere even remotely close to north of the Mason-Dixon line. She smiled at him, leaning one hip against the table as she balanced a tray holding a coffee service in one hand, and three breakfast platters stacked on a tray in the other.

She was dressed in traditional diner style - a short blue dress with capped sleeves, non-slip shoes, and an apron tied around her waist. Glasses were perched on her nose, making her eyes look just a little bit bigger. She expertly dished out the coffee without dropping any of the breakfast platters, pouring it for him. It was a learned skill, one that she had become very good at over the past few years.

"Anything else for y', _cher_?" The waitress asked, leaning her hip against the table again. Warren hesitated. As much as he wanted to ask for her number, he was technically working.

"There is one thing you could do for me." He leaned back in his chair, giving her a long look. "I'm looking for a friend of mine - he and I go way back and I heard that they were in town so I thought I'd drop by.". He was spinning his lie effortlessly, weaving a web for her to fall into.

"Dat so?" She asked, refilling his coffee. She at least looked interested in what he had to say, and Warren counted that as a win. "An' does y'r _ami_ have a name?" she asked. She slid into the seat across from him in the booth. Her legs swung beneath her and she leaned forward, seeming to be completely hooked by what he was telling her.

“Raphael.”

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There was a stranger in the diner that morning - even in the few days that she had worked there, she could tell that much. It was obvious from the moment that he walked into the diner where she worked the morning shifts that he wasn’t from here. Worse, he wasn’t just passing through town - people wore comfortable clothes when travelling. Not suits and oversized trenchcoats. He came in surveying the room - looking for someone. So Darcy put a little extra swing in her step and went over to pour him a cup of coffee… and find out exactly what he was looking for. It was doubtful that he was looking for her - he stood out too much to have been anyone from either Guild.

Working a mark was something that she had done for years - it was second nature by that point. It was just getting them to talk, to open up - give her information that they wouldn’t otherwise volunteer. 

It only took a few minutes to learn what he was after - her. It hadn’t taken her long after that to decide that the man was an idiot. He strolled into this tiny town in the middle of nowhere with designer clothes on, telling the first person that he met all about what he was doing. And when she gave him directions to a poorly-lit parking lot in the middle of the night, he took it gratefully.

Darcy shook her head as she watched the man leave after thirty minutes or so - if she didn’t have so much on her plate already, she would have stolen his money just for the fun of it.

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The curly-haired waitress had written down directions for him on a napkin - and while he was slightly disappointed that she hadn’t given him her phone number as well, he had more important things to deal with. He waited until after dark to leave his hotel and follow her directions - the less people who saw him the better. But once the sun had set, he set off as well.

It was a deep blue tent, in the middle of a parking lot. There was nothing else nearby, and he was on guard as he made his way to the flap that served as a door. "Hello?" Warren poked his head inside the tent, wrinkling up his nose at the smell of herbs inside. It was bigger than it looked - a decent-sized cot filled one corner, and a collection of leather-bound books was resting on top of a chest.

"We're closed fo' de night, _monsieur_." A heavily accented voice drawled from the back, and Warren almost groaned out loud. That accent was going to drive him mad.

"I'm looking for Raphael." He said instead, straightening out the lines of his suit. 

“Y've found me." The voice said, stepping out of the shadows. It was a woman, her face hidden by the hood of her dark blue cloak, the golden glow of her eyes the only indication of her face. There was something shining at the top of her cloak, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. "Now de question is, what do y' want?" 

He tried to hide his surprise at her appearance - he hadn’t expected the famed healer to be a woman to begin with. He shifted, suddenly nervous.

"I can only fix what's broke, _oiseau_." The woman muttered, sounding amused. She moved forward, her voice almost hypnotizing as she moved around the tent. She had spent years learning from Mattie Baptiste - while Darcy was no voodoo queen like she was, she had picked up enough tricks over the years to do her part. One of those tricks was how to be eerie enough to make even the most spiritual person nervous. “Don’t matter how much y’ hate y’r wings, dere a part of y’.”

That startled him a bit - his back was covered by his coat, there was no way that she could have seen his wings, let alone have known about how much he had always hated them. They were the cause of everything that had gone wrong between him and his family - but that wasn’t his concern at the moment. He had a mission to carry out. “I'm here to talk to you about a school…" he began, awkwardly. It was a speech that he had recited so many times before - one that explained the purpose of the Institute and the X-Men without giving away any actual information about it. It was a difficult line to walk, but he managed it.

Raphael took in his words without saying a single thing in return, just watching him. The Professor was the best at giving the Dream speech, followed by Jean. Warren was really, really bad at it. And the way she was watching him was unnerving, especially since she had yet to show her face.

“Y' say dat y'r goal is fo' humans an' mutants t' live together, _oui_?" Darcy asked, purposely drawing out her accent. She had learned over the years that people underestimated her the more Cajun she sounded - their mistake.

"Yes."

She tilted her head to one side, studying him. “So how many humans live at dis school of y'rs?” she asked, and Warren paused. He had never been asked that before.

“Well, none.” he admitted, wondering where exactly she was going with her line of questioning.

“Den how d’you expect dem t’live together?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “ _Mais_ , N’awlins is full of mutants and humans - dey get along just fine.”

Before he could even think of anything to say in response, they were interrupted. “ _Regarde_ , mama!” Marie was shouting as she ran into the tent, her hands cupped in front of her as her little legs moved as quickly as they could. “ _Un crapaud_!”

Warren turned to look at the little girl, startled as red eyes looked back at him. His wings came loose - some part of his hindbrain warning him to protect himself against the child with the demon’s eyes. His wings flew out behind him, ripping his trenchcoat into tatters and coming in front of him, feathers ready to strike with deadly accuracy.

“No!”

In one smooth motion, Raphael was on the other side of the tent, in between Warren’s wings and her child. She had pushed her little girl behind her body, shielding her even as she got ready to fight their potential attacker.

She glared at him - a look that had him worried more than any of Cyclops' ever did. It was the look of a protective mother, set on murdering the one who had tried to hurt her child. "See, now y've played y'r hand… and overstayed y’r welcome." She hissed, stalking towards him. A knife appeared in her hand, flashing silver in the low lighting against the dark shadows of her cloak.

“Y' leave, an' y' don't never come back less y' face m'wrath.” her face promised more violence than he could fathom, and Warren Worthington III was gone as quickly as he could be.

Darcy pulled off her cloak with one hand, revealing the T-shirt and jeans she wore under it as she used the cloak to wrap her daughter up tightly. Her other hand held her daughter close, not believing just how close she had come to losing her child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Surprise?


	10. Chapter 10

She had all the money that they needed to start a new life. She could not work for the next five years and have them still living comfortably. The issue was her identity. The first time that she took out a credit card or made a bank account under the names ‘Darcy Lerisse’ or ‘Darcy LeBeau,’ the Guilds would be on top of her. She could get a new identity - a new background, new papers - with no problem. She knew plenty of people who did just that. Except that the second she made contact with any of them, the Guilds would know. 

So for now, they were stuck in motel rooms that didn't ask for any ID. That part wasn’t hard - what was hard was finding one that accepted both her and her daughter without any issues.

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She covered Marie’s head, holding her tightly against her chest as she ran out of the motel lobby. The owner had starting screaming the second that the toddler had lifted her head, revealing her glassy red eyes. “I said get out!!!" The man said, coming out from behind the desk. He was large and intimidating, but Darcy was small and quick - and out of the two of them, had far more practice at running for her life. There was no way he was going to catch her.

Still, she moved just a little bit faster, trying to keep ahead of him. “ _Mais_ , I heard y'! Y' don't need t' scream!" Darcy shot back, holding on to Marie just the slightest bit tighter. She made her way towards the door, keeping her eyes on the people around them to make sure that no one else was going to try and come after them. While no one seemed to want to do that, no one wanted to step in to help them, either.

"Filthy mutants!" The man shouted, following them out onto the street, and Darcy winced at the looks that it earned them. She held her daughter closer, ready for whatever was going to happen next.

Marie whimpered in her sleep, and Darcy felt her heart breaking. Her little girl was pale, her whole body burning with fever. In the two years since the mother and daughter had been on the run, Marie had never gotten sick before - she had no idea what to do. This was no little cough or fever that took two seconds to fix. This was deep, and serious - something that she needed either the time and privacy to take care of, or a hospital. Neither of those was an option right now.

"Hush, _bébé._ " Darcy said, smoothing back her daughter's hair as she pressed a kiss to her forehead. She wrapped her old blue cloak around her just a little bit tighter, trying to shield her from the cold. " _Je suis desole, bébé_. It'll be okay."

"Pardon me. I couldn't help but see that you might be in a spot of trouble." A voice said, and Darcy looked up even as her arms tightened around her daughter. An older woman stood in front of them - her dark hair streaked through with silver, dark brown eyes watching them intensely. Her clothes were tailored to perfection and well-made - a sign of money. Brick red lipstick made her pale skin look that much paler, and she spoke with a lilting accent like something out of a movie. On any other day, this was exactly the kind of person that Darcy would have chosen as a potential target. But Marie was sick - a sort of fever that she needed time and privacy to heal. Those were both things that she wouldn't be able to get if they had to sleep on the streets.

"And?" Darcy asked, wary. But there was a part of her that was already planning on accepting the woman’s offer, no matter what the price was.

"How would you ladies like a warm bed for the night?" The woman asked, her voice pleasant. But Darcy had received offers like that before. And while the person making the offer was more pleasant than most, she still needed to be sure that there weren't any strings attached.

Her grip on her daughter grew even tighter - enough to make Marie whimper in her sleep. "We ain't selling not'in." She warned, her eyes flashing slightly.

"Of course you're not." The woman agreed, sounding mildly disgusted by the thought. She smoothed out her skirt as she sat down next to Darcy. The young mutant couldn't help but grin at the sight the pair of them must have made - a spotless older woman with perfect red lips and curls, next to an obviously homeless woman and her child. "But I couldn't help but notice how that arrogant plonker was treating you - and an old friend of mine would never leave me be if I left you in the streets."

" _Merci, Mme._ -" she trailed off, unsure of what to call her.

"Sousa. Mrs. Margaret Sousa." She introduced herself, then stood up. Taking a moment to smooth down her skirt, she offered a hand to Darcy. "I'd offer to carry the little one for you, but I have a feeling you wouldn't respond well to the idea." She said as she picked up their go-bag instead, a wry smile on her face as she led the way to the car. She pulled open the door for them, sliding in behind Darcy. Her bag was placed on the floor at their feet, tucked in tightly so that it remained out of their way.

“Take us home, please.” Ms. Sousa called out to the driver once they had all settled in. 

"Yes ma'am." The driver said, starting up the car. The ride was as smooth as could be, the seats genuine leather underneath her. Darcy was impressed.

"Dis is real nice." Darcy said, playing up her drawl a bit. The more she sounded like she had just crawled out of the bayou, the more people tended to underestimate her. That had come in handy more than a few times over the years, and more so now than ever. “Where’d y’ even get somet’in dis _bon_?”

"I am the director of an organization which I helped found." The woman explained, looking proud. It was almost hard to tell - she was fairly decent at hiding her emotions. "It involves a lot of travel, and an unfortunate amount of shopping."

"I miss shopping." Darcy admitted, looking out the window. Marie had fallen back asleep against her, soft wheezing breaths hitting against her neck. She ran a hand through the auburn curls - they were getting long, she would have to cut them soon. "Never t'ought I would, but I do."

They pulled up outside a house in the suburbs, and Darcy kept Marie pressed close to her chest, her body tensed and ready to run at any second. They may have been invited, but sometimes the ones that invited you in were the deadliest.

The woman led them out of the car, the driver going away as soon as they had made it up the driveway. Mrs. Sousa went ahead of them, flicking on the lights as she went. It was a beautiful house - a brick exterior, with plenty of photographs on the walls. The whole place was cozy - rugs on the carpets, throw blankets on the backs of couches. "It's just me these days, I'm afraid." Mrs. Sousa said, hanging up her purse as she led them into the house. "My husband passed a few years ago."

“ _Je suis desole._ " Darcy murmured, holding onto Marie tightly as they followed the woman into her house. They kept walking until the older woman came to a stop outside of a door. Gesturing inside, she pointed out the bed.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you need to.” Mrs. Sousa said, keeping her voice down to keep from waking up Marie. She led the Lerisse women down the hall, showing them to a room before leaving them be. Darcy laid her baby in the bed, tucking her in tightly, her hands and eyes glowing the entire time. She was pushing as much of her power into her daughter as she could, working her best to make her daughter well again. Marie stirred, waking up just enough to speak.

“Mama?” Marie asked, her voice hoarse.

Darcy smoothed her hair back, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Go back to sleep, monkey.”

“Sing t’ me?”

Darcy nodded - at the moment she was so relieved that Marie was alright, she would have agreed to almost anything.

_Pauv' Piti' Mom'zelle Zizi_   
_Pauv' Piti' Mom'zelle Zizi_   
_Li gaignain bobo, bobo_   
_Dans so pitit tchoeur._

She sang, her voice low and soothing, trying to put Marie right back to sleep. It only took a few minutes to send the toddler back to sleep - the rest of the time was spent just watching her daughter. The little girl was never that still unless she was dead asleep.

Once she was sure that Marie wouldn’t wake up again, Darcy made her way through the house. She found the other woman in the kitchen, the kettle on the stove rolling away and quietly starting to whistle. “ _Merci_ again, _Mme._ Sousa.”

“Please, call me Maggie - everybody around here does.” she said, pouring the tea. As she brought it over to the table, her eyes strayed towards the door. “How old is she?”

"Two." Darcy said softly, fiddling with her hands. Despite everything, it was almost a relief to know that her daughter was sleeping safely in the next room. "Gonna turn t'ree dis year."

Mrs. Sousa crossed her kitchen, pulling sugar out of a cabinet while she grabbed tea leaves from another. "And the father?" She asked, keeping her voice even. 

Darcy hesitated - it was still hard to even think about Remy, let alone verbalize it. “Gone.”

The Englishwoman froze. “I'm sorry. If you don't mind me asking…”

"He's not dead - at least I don't t'ink so." She admitted, shrugging her shoulders. There was a lot that was left unsaid, but still managed to be conveyed. Maggie laid a hand on her shoulder, and the two women shared a look. After that, they fell into much more pleasant conversation, talking about the places that they had traveled to over the years.


	11. Chapter 11

They were only with Mrs. Sousa for a little over a week before the Guild caught up with them.

The woman was lovely - Darcy had initially wanted to leave the next morning, but she had insisted that they stay with her for as long as they needed to. She doted on Marie, treating her like any of the other grandchildren whose pictures hung on the fridge. And while Darcy knew that she should be moving on, she couldn’t find it in herself to leave the woman who was so sweet to them both behind. 

But they came in the night - Darcy woke up to the sound of glass breaking, and then silence. Still, she knew what was happening, even though she couldn’t hear a thing. So she rolled out of bed, landing on the balls of her feet to keep from making any noise. Marie was dead asleep - sometimes she thought that her child would be able to sleep through anything. This was just more proof.

She made it halfway down the hallway to the kitchen when she heard the first body hit the floor. Instantly, her heart was in her throat - the only thing that she could think of was Maggie under attack. She started running, her hands already glowing gold with the energy that she would need to heal the older woman. But by the time she reached the kitchen, the battle was almost over.

And Mrs. Sousa - Maggie - was winning.

The older woman had a frying pan - left over from the jambalaya that Darcy had made for dinner that night - in on hand, and was effectively using it as a club, soundly beating all of them to a relative pulp. Despite everything going on, it only took Darcy a few minutes to recognize the green and gray of the Thieve’s Colors.

“Don’t kill dem!” she cried out - the first thing that she said after processing that sweet Mrs. Sousa was soundly beating everyone around her. But she was a Thief by birth - and she would always recognize her people. And even as she yelled at the other woman, she jumped into the fight as well.

Maggie grunted as she swung, the frying pan connecting with her attacker’s temple. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but they are currently trying to kill us!”

“Don’t kill dem.” Darcy repeated, sending one - she thought that it was Beau, but wasn’t sure - flying over her shoulder. 

“You are aware, that is going to make things much harder for us.” she argued.

“We’ll manage.” Darcy grunted, grabbing the hand that moved towards her face. She bent it backwards, only stopping when she heard the popping sound that let her know the man’s wrist had been dislocated. Next up was his shoulder, pulled out of its socket with a sharply executed twist. They continued fighting, Darcy making her way across the room until she was back-to-back with the woman who had taken in her and her daughter. After that - when the two women teamed up - it only took them a few minutes to finish everyone off. By the end of everything, Darcy was more exhausted than she had been in years. She almost sank to the ground, her legs threatening to give out from a mix of the adrenaline leaving her body and pure exhaustion.

“ _Merci._ ” Darcy said, accepting Maggie’s hand when she went to help her up. But she winced when she saw the look on the other woman’s face - Maggie had the Look patented. She could get someone to spill their secrets in under a minute if she wanted to. “Guess I have explainin’ to do, _non_?”

"I would say so." Maggie agreed, almost looking amused. "But first - how did you do that?"

Darcy just shrugged, but her grin was just a little bit feral. “I’m a healer by trade.” she pointed out. “And healers know how to break things just as well.” That earned her a small laugh. “Right den. _Mme._ Sousa -”

"Just call me Maggie - it’s what you’ve been calling me til now." The older woman reminded her, still breathing heavily - but not as bad as Darcy was. "Now, what exactly did you do to get into so much trouble with the Thieves Guild?"

"Believe it or not, I got married." Darcy replied, keeping a wary eye on the woman as she crawled to her feet. Despite her tendency to just hit people with the nearest heavy object, her fighting style was more than efficient. "De real question is, how do y' know about de Guild?"

"Now that is a long story." Maggie laughed as Darcy helped her back to her feet. "Who did you have to marry to piss them all off this badly?"

“His name is Remy.” she said, her voice quiet. She worried at the chain around her neck, an image of crimson eyes flashing through her mind. She still had that playing card tucked away - trapped between the pages of a text on art history. Remy had loved the book, said it was one of his favorites.

Maggie paled - just enough to be noticeable. “Remy LeBeau?” 

Darcy watched the woman carefully, ready to defend her husband at a moment’s notice. It might have been years since she saw the man, but she still loved him despite everything. And she was more than a little curious to know how this sweet woman knew anything about the Guilds at all, let alone who the prince was. “ _Oui_.” 

“Seriously?” Peggy asked, looking Darcy over. She was tiny, and barely looked like she could walk down a hallway without tripping over her own feet. “You married the Prince of Thieves? Was there no safer choices, like maybe a serial arsonist?”

Despite herself, Darcy couldn’t help her snort of laughter at that. “You’re very funny, _madame_.” she allowed, before blowing out her cheeks to try and regain her composure again. “ _Mais_ , enough about me. Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“Everywhere, really, but mostly in Eastern Europe.” As she talked, she moved around the kitchen, stepping over the bodies still strewn about the floor as she gathered everything that she needed to make tea. “A long time ago, I fought in World War Two, alongside a great man. Saved his arse more times than I can count.”

" _Merde_." Darcy groaned. There was only one woman who matched the person in front of her - someone who every member of the Guild had been warned about. The demon in a Thief's tale. "Maggie Sousa, hah! Y'r Peggy Carter, aren't y'?"

"I'm afraid so." The older woman said, a hint of a smile playing around her face. "Legally, my name is Margaret Sousa - I got married.” she shrugged, sighing theatrically. “But for some reason, Peggy Carter always seems to get more press.” With that said, she pressed a cup of tea into Darcy’s hands, the heat enough to pull Darcy out of her thoughts. She had been dialed in on one of the bodies laying on the floor, focusing on the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. While it would have been easier for her in the long run to kill them, she couldn’t find it in herself to kill the people that she had grown up with. Still, it was almost traumatizing seeing them laying around her like that. 

“Right.” Peggy said, pulling her attention away from the bodies with a sympathetic smile. “They’ll be unconscious for at least an hour, but the clean-up team will be here in thirty minutes to move the bodies to another location. Which means you better talk quickly.”

So without another word, Darcy launched into her story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who almost died???
> 
> IT WAS ME!!!!
> 
> I was in a really bad car accident and am currently stuck living with my parents while I heal, so I'm very sorry that I haven't updated anything for the past month. But I'm here now, and that's all that matters. Enjoy the chapter, please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Even after hearing everything that the New Orleans native had to tell her, Peggy Carter had let them stay. Her second-in-command - a lovely man that was a lot more soft than he pretended to be, called Fury - had advised against it. He had claimed that Darcy and Marie were a liability, that enemies of SHIELD could use them to get to the Director. Peggy had simply gestured to the bodies on the floor with a raised eyebrow. “I don’t believe that there’s much to worry about, Nick.” she had said dryly. And that was the end of it.

Still, both Darcy and Peggy knew that that wasn't the end of things. The Guild would be back - there was no way that they would give up so easily. So they both kept planning.

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"It's time, isn't it?" Peggy asked, startling Darcy from her thoughts. Even with all the training that she had had in her life, the spy was still able to sneak up on her.

"Dey're catchin' up to me again." Darcy said simply, making her way over to the coffee machine. She still wasn’t sure why the other woman had it in the first place - in the time that she had known her, she had never seen the woman drink anything other than tea. "I won't bring them back t' y'r doorstep, Peg."

Peggy shook her head - they had been having this exact same argument for months now. She knew how it went. Darcy would say that they were leaving - either because the guilds were closing in on them, or she didn't want them to be a burden on her any more. Peggy would reply with how the guilds would leave them alone here. She had an arrangement with the guilds - she would leave them alone if they left her alone. They had already broken their side of the bargain. They wouldn't test her by trying again. Of course, the other argument had a similar reply. Peggy had three children of her own, and many more that she had practically adopted over the years. That still wasn't counting her ridiculous horde of grandchildren. Adding Darcy and Marie into the mix was nothing compared to what she was used to. Still, when Darcy turned to look at her, she could see it in her eyes. There was no way that she was going to convince the younger woman to stay any longer. Darcy had made up her mind.

"Right then, let's hear you." Peggy said, as bright-eyed as ever despite the early hour. The older woman sat at her kitchen table, a cup of tea clutched in her manicured hands and her bathrobe cinched around her waist, neatly covering her pyjamas. Conversely, Darcy wore a too large shirt that she refused to get rid of despite the sheer amount of holes in it.

She forced a grin on her face. "Hiya!" She chirped, a grin spreading over her face as she flawlessly reproduced the Midwestern accent that Peggy had been teaching her. It had taken her awhile to get used to calling her Peggy instead of Maggie - but now that she knew the truth she didn’t think that she could call the other woman anything else. The woman’s neighbors called her Maggie, but that was it - and even that was rare. "How are ya, Peg?"

"Not bad." Peggy admitted - high praise from the SHIELD Director. "Now, there's two more things you need." With that, she handed over an envelope - one stuffed completely full of official-looking documents. She looked through the paperwork that Peggy handed her - birth certificates, social security cards, medical records. All under the names Darcy and Marie Lewis - everything that she would need to start a new life for her and her daughter. “All of it is untraceable,” Peggy continued, “so the guilds won’t be able to find you unless you want them to.”

Despite herself, Darcy shook her head. “Peg, I can't keep this.” she said, her normal drawl slipping back into her voice in her surprise.

But Peggy wasn’t hearing any of it - she had the look on her face that had meant business back when she was just Maggie, the sweet woman who took them in. Now that she knew who she was talking to, it was even more nerve-wracking to have that look aimed in her direction. “You can't live on the streets forever, Darcy.” Peggy said sternly. “Both you and your little girl deserve better.”

Apparently that was the end of the discussion - the look on the other woman’s face said that the subject was closed. So Darcy just took what she had been given, clutching it tightly and making a mental note to hide it away somewhere safe. “ _Merci_.” she whispered.

“Now you keep that information, and make sure that you're back in time for the holidays, do you understand?" Peggy asked, enough steel in her voice that it was understood that she wasn't really asking. This was goodbye, but only for now - they had been in each other’s lives for almost two months now. Peggy would come home from work to be greeting by a precocious toddler, crimson eyes filled with glee as she screamed for _‘grandmere’_. At night, she and Darcy would trade stories over a bottle of whiskey or a pot of tea, talking about their lives and the way that things could have gone. Now that time was done - but Darcy Lerisse just smiled.

“Yes, Peggy.”

Within the month, Darcy Lewis had enrolled at Culver University.

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The first few months on his own were some of the hardest that he had ever lived through. He was afraid to touch anything - even a single lapse in concentration could end in an explosion.

Of course, he missed his wife more than he could say - it was the longest that they had been separated since they had met as children. But every time that he thought about going back to her, he was reminded of what had taken him away from her in the first place.

Surprisingly, it hadn’t taken him all that long to find someone who could help him to regain control of his powers. All of his questions pointed him in the direction of a Dr. Nathaniel Essex - a geneticist who specialized in mutations. Upon meeting the man, Remy could see why he was so obsessed. The man was vampiricly pale, with red eyes that were almost as striking as Remy’s own. After spending a while talking over things, the scientist had come up with a solution - a partial lobotomy that would bring his powers back down to a level that he was still able to control. Sinister warned him that he would never be able to get that power back, but he didn’t care. He was powerful enough already - he didn’t need that extra bit.

Normally, Remy wouldn’t have even considered such extreme measures. But his powers were becoming more and more uncontrollable by the day. And all that he had to do was owe Dr. Essex a favor in the future. It almost seemed too good to be true - and of course, it was.

Now he sat in Sinister’s labs - a year after he left her - protecting the last bit of his mind that Monseur Essex hadn’t managed to break into yet - if he did, Remy wasn’t sure what he would do. Coming here was the biggest mistake that he had ever made in his life, and he had made many over the years. But this was no joyriding in his Papa’s car or choosing the wrong mark, or even pickpocketing an Assassin. This was death, and torture, and there was nothing he could do but protect the last bits of his mind that the scientist hadn’t yet gotten to.

The last thing that he wanted was for the mad scientist to get his hands on a mutant with healing powers - especially not his _ange_. Not Darcy, never her. He wouldn't let anything hurt her, even if it meant torturing himself by staying away.

But there were days where he wondered what might have happened if he had stayed. On the days where Sinister had been particularly vicious, he imagined himself curled up in bed with his Darcy, playing with her hair to calm himself down. He remembered her back home - in Mattie’s shop, humming a tune under her breath and swatting at him if he got in her way while she was working.

Sometimes he wondered what she was doing - out there on her own. She hadn’t returned to New Orleans. No matter how desperate she got, there was no way that she would go back without him - it would be like committing suicide.

Heavy footsteps made their way towards him, and Remy couldn’t help but sigh. He knew that gait far more intimately than he would like to - enough that his body tensed automatically, ready to run. “If it ain’t the swamp rat.” the growling voice echoed around the room, echoing against the sterile surroundings.

Remy didn’t even lift his head - too entranced by drawing his power out then pulling it back in to look away. It wasn’t too long ago that he hadn’t had any control over his powers at all - let alone the levels that he had now. “Go ‘way, Creed.”

The feral mutant laughed - a low, grating sound that set the Cajun on edge. “Is that any way to treat a friend?”

That made Remy laugh - the first real laugh that he had had since finding himself in Sinister’s ‘employ’. “ _Oui, monsieur chaton._ ” he said, his voice rough from disuse and as biting as a whip. “Dat’s why ol’ Remy’s locked up, stead of bein’ out dere wit’ de likes of y’. ‘Cause we just such _bon amies_.”

“Sabretooth.” Sinister’s voice echoed down the halls, and the feral mutant froze. Remy smirked - it was obvious that Creed was torn between answering his employer and staying to torment the red-eyed mutant some more. But Sinister won out - even Creed was afraid of the other mutant.

“Go on, _chaton_.” Remy called at the retreating figure. “Y’r master’s callin’ y’.”

He waited a bit - maybe this was when Sinister would finally get rid of him. But he didn’t hear anything. No one came for him. So he closed his eyes, and fell asleep to memories of his Darcy Lerisse, dancing and laughing her way through his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review!


	13. Chapter 13

She had almost finished college in only two years time when her guidance counsellor called her into her office - she still needed six science credits to graduate. She had avoided some - if not all - of the science classes because of their fascination with Marie and her more visible mutation. It was infuriating to her, and had almost caused her to be expelled from Culver on one occasion for attacking an overzealous scientist.

The counsellor had a few options, but most of them didn’t involve her graduating that year - she would have to wait till the next semester in the fall to walk. And despite how much he pushed that option, postponing graduation wasn’t something that she was willing to do.

Her only option left was to try and find an internship.

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Darcy raced across campus, her bag thudding against her side and dodging people every few seconds as she ran. Her heart raced in her chest as she ran, keeping one eye on her watch as she moved. She only had five minutes to make it across campus before she was considered officially late - and if this scientist was anything like the other ones that she had already talked to, that would be a death sentence. It didn’t matter how much they fit the absent-minded professor persona, they all seemed to know exactly what time it was when she was late.

She found the lab with barely a minute to spare, throwing the door open hard enough that it slammed against the wall with a loud banging sound. That was enough to wake up the woman sleeping at her desk - her clothes were wrinkled and obviously several days old, her work area was littered with used coffee cups and empty take-out boxes. Brown hair was piled on top of her head in a bun, and brown eyes stared at Darcy, cataloguing everything about her. But even as she stared - an attempt to be at least slightly intimidating - a sticky note fell from where it had stuck itself to her face.

The woman scowled - looking about as intimidating as Marie did when she first woke up from a nap. “Can I help you?” she asked, not even looking up. Her hands ran over the desk, checking over all of the notes that she had written to make sure that she hadn’t drooled on any of them.

“Maybe?” Darcy asked, inching into the lab. The number on the lab door was definitely the right one, but the only person in the room was the woman. And while she knew astrophysicists were supposed to look a little crazy, she didn’t think that this was right. Still, she had to ask. “I’m looking for Dr. Foster?”

“Hi!” the woman said, looking vaguely relieved. “Darcy, right?”

“Yup! Darcy Lewis.” was her introduction, even as she studied the other woman warily. She didn’t look the part of an astrophysicist - she had been expecting an older man with silver hair and a labcoat, not a woman in flannel who looked to be getting the same amount of sleep as a grad student. “You’re Dr. Jack Foster?”

“Huh? No, I’m Dr. Jane Foster.” she said, looking confused for a moment. That cleared up at least a little when she saw the advertisement that Darcy was clutching. “Let me see that?” she asked, already snatching the paper out of the other woman’s hands. It only took a moment for her face to scrunch up in irritation as she balled up the paper. “Sorry. There must have been a typo in the ad.”

“Right… so this is your lab?” Darcy asked, still confused.

“This is it!” Jane looked around, blushing slightly when she saw the state of things in her lab. Notes were scribbled everywhere in different colored pens, and her equipment set up in pride of place. She wasn’t used to having people around, and quickly started to move around the room, cleaning as she went. “Sorry - I meant to clean up before you got here, but you weren’t supposed to be here til Thursday.”

“It is Thursday.”

She almost regretted her instant reaction, just because of the look on Jane’s face. Her shoulders dropped, her face more than a little lost at the loss of time. It was like she had started sciencing, only to realize later that she had been at it for days with no rest. “Oh. Right.” she said awkwardly.

Darcy just carried on, well aware of how it sometimes got. She had used to be the same way when she was working - get caught up in a potion or a tincture and just work for days straight. The only thing that would ever stop her was Remy - feeding her and forcing her to sleep when she needed to. It seemed that that was what Jane needed now, and she was more than willing to give her that. She could start by getting the lab in some semblance of order. “Here.” she said softly, already starting to clean things up. “Let me help.”

Jane startled, looking surprised by the offer. “Oh - um, thanks.”

“No problem.” she replied, already starting to clean. This was something that she was far too used to - having a toddler had its perks, but this was not one of them. “Go ahead and start asking me any questions you have - I can multitask.”

Jane just watched her for a moment - she had only had one other interview before this, and they had basically run screaming the second that they saw her lab. She knew it was a mess, and that she technically should keep it in better shape than it was currently in - and she usually did. But she had come unreasonably close to having a significant breakthrough in her theories, which led to her working nonstop for the past few days. “Are you okay with travel?” the astrophysicist asked.

“To where?” Darcy asked, studying some notes that Jane had written on the back of a pizza box. The scientist winced - she was sure that she wasn’t helping her own reputation with stunts like that.

“New Mexico - specifically, a little town called Puente Antigo.” Jane answered. “It’s got the best view of the stars while still having some civilization.”

Darcy shrugged, keeping her attention outwardly focused on the lab - if she wanted the credits, she would have to work to get this job. But her mind was racing, trying to think everything through. Traveling that far wouldn’t be a problem - she and Marie had traveled farther than that for a lot less, and at least this time they would have the promise of safety when they arrived. Still, nothing was set in stone, at least not yet. So Darcy kept her cool. “As long as I can get a wi-fi connection, I’ll be happy.”

“How far are you with your astrophysics courses?” Jane asked, and Darcy had to work to hide her wince.

“Right.” she said slowly. She wasn’t sure exactly what the other woman’s reaction was going to be, but she was fairly sure that it wasn’t going to be anything good. “That. Well, funny story… I’m not actually an astrophysicist. I'm a PoliSci major.”

“What?” Jane looked almost offended, her face crumpling in disgust. “That’s - that’s not a real science.”

Darcy turned to look at her, completely exasperated. “Well, it’s what I do. So do you want me or not?”

“Fine. When can you start?”

“What? Just like that?”

Jane nodded, looking slightly sheepish. “Well… between you and me, you were kind of the only applicant.” she admitted. “So as long as you’re okay with traveling, you’re hired.”

“Before we finish up the paperwork and things, I should let you know that I have a daughter. She's four, just a few months from five.” Darcy said, trying to hide her wince. This was the fourth internship that she applied for, and the first one that had gotten this far. She didn’t want it to fall apart now, but there was really nothing that she could do for it.

“Oh.” the woman across from her said, stopping completely for the first time since they had met. She was a tiny waif of a woman, her brown hair a rats nest around her shoulders. Dr. Jane Foster was not what she had expected in the slightest, and somehow ten times better.

“Is that going to be a problem?” Darcy asked, raising an eyebrow. There was no doubt that if it was going to be a problem, then she would drop it right now - nothing was more important than her baby. But Jane didn’t look irritated - she looked a little excited.

“Can… can I meet her?” Dr. Foster asked. There was a nervous look in her eyes, like she was sure that the other woman was going to say no.

She tried to act like she wasn't pleased, but the small smile on her face gave her away. “Sure.” She moved back across the lab towards the door, gesturing for the other woman to follow her.

8888

“One of my neighbors watches Marie if I can’t take her with me.” Darcy explained as she unlocked the front door of her apartment.

“Marie!” Darcy called, ushering Jane into the apartment that they called home. It was far nicer than anything a college student should have been able to afford, but then it helped that that student had trained as a Thief. “Marie, come here!”

The pounding of little feet got louder with every passing second, Darcy’s smile growing as it did. It was rare for her to be separated from her daughter for any length of time, which made the reunion that much sweeter. “Mama!”

A little girl came racing around the corner, and Darcy scooped her up before she had the chance to fall. “There's my monkey!” she cheered, peppering kisses to the girl's face. Jane just watched awkwardly, not sure of what she should do, or if she should do anything at all.

It only took a moment for Jane to catch the little girl’s attention.

She looked so much like her mother it was ridiculous - they had the same curls, the same pale skin and bone structure. Her hair was lighter, almost auburn, and then there were her eyes. Instead of the bright blue that her mother had, they were a bright, shining scarlet. Her shirt had once had a polka-dot pattern on it - now it was smeared with what looked like peanut-butter and jelly. “Monkey, this is Miss Jane - she might be Mama's new boss. Jane, this is my daughter, Marie.”

“H’lo Miss Jane.” Marie said, giving the petite woman a shy smile before hiding her face in her mother’s neck.

Jane seemed instantly charmed by the young girl, a soft smile sliding across her face as she waved back at the little girl. “Hi Marie - it’s nice to meet you.” Even as her new boss said hello to her daughter, Darcy kept a close eye on the other woman. But she seemed to not have anything to worry about, judging by the look on the other woman’s face. She looked as infatuated with the young girl as Darcy herself was.

“Hey monkey, go catch me a shirt, please. You need a new one.” she asked, setting her daughter on the ground and watching as she ran off.

Jane’s voice was quiet when she next spoke. “She's a mutant.”

Darcy didn’t answer for a moment, even though they both knew the answer to the question. Instead, she studied Jane carefully - like she was looking for something that Jane might not even know about herself. But after a moment she smiled, her body losing tension that she didn’t realize she was holding. “Yeah.”

“That streak in your hair - it's not a fashion statement." Jane said slowly.

Darcy shook her head. “I'm a mutant too.”

“Why are you telling me?” Jane asked, looking incredulous. “We just met - for all you know I could be anti-mutant.”

Even Jane could see the way the young mother went stiff at her words. “Are you?” Darcy asked, instantly on the alert. She looked like she was about to attack at any given second. 

“Don't be ridiculous.” she snorted. But the look in her eyes was earnest - earnest and honest in her protectiveness. “But you have to be more careful! It’s not just yourself you’re protecting here.” she studied the other woman for a moment, before coming to a snap decision. “You're hired.”

The smile that she got for the news was practically blinding. “Awesome!” Darcy cheered, swooping her daughter up into her grasp, smiling delightedly when the little girl shrieked with laughter at the movement. “Hang on, let me put Marie to bed then we can have a drink to celebrate.”

Jane made her way around the apartment as Darcy disappeared down the hall, taking everything in. Beautiful paintings and artwork hung on the walls, but one thing in particular caught her eye. A worn out playing card, cracked and faded, was hung on the wall next to a bedroom, mounted on a background of green velvet. It didn't make sense - which was why it had caught her attention in the first place - as everything else on the walls was worth hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. But this looked like nothing more than a cheap Dollar store playing card.

“Don't touch that.” Darcy said sharply, and Jane jumped back - she hadn't even heard the other woman come back into the room.

"What is it?" Jane asked, studying it warily. It was simple, a Queen of Hearts pinned to the wall. The edges were worn thin, and there were a few stains on the card. But other than that there was nothing even the slightest bit unique about it.

"A memory." She said, looking like she wanted to say something more. Instead she turned away, wrapping her arms around herself as she tucked the blonde streak of hair back behind one ear. “Just a memory.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays to everyone out there!!!
> 
> Let me know what you think, folks - please review!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would you all think of me writing an original book? Would anyone be interested in reading it? Let me know in the comments!

After almost two years under Sinister's control, he was finally free. At first he had wanted nothing more than to find his way back home, but quickly realized that there would be nothing left there for him.

So he kept moving - always heading north. He had heard about a safe haven that way, and was determined to find it. There was an Underground Railroad of sorts for mutants - safehouses scattered across the country, mostly headed north towards Canada. But they all spoke of a school - a safe haven that came in and rescued mutants. He wasn’t sure just how much of the rumors he believed - he doubted that the walls were painted in gold like some of the children whispered - but he knew one thing. The school was real.

His father had mentioned it once, in passing. All he had said that it existed, and was somewhere upstate. But Remy wasn’t stupid - he listened to the stories that were told and used them to decipher exactly where the prestigious school was hidden. It took him more than a few months to find it - part of that time was spent in a motel room just healing from all of the torture that Sinister had inflicted on his body.

He pulled his bike up outside of the gates, quickly hacking into the security system to get the gates to unlock. Despite it being a school, it was late enough in the day that there were no students outside. Instead, everyone was tucked away safely in their beds, sleeping sweetly. Remy almost laughed when the gate opened not even a minute after he had started working on it - for someone with the resources that Charles Xavier had, he didn’t seem to be too worried about security.

There were so many ways that he could have broken into the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters - their security was terrible. It barely even took him five minutes to come up with six different ways to get in through the gate. Still, he went with the flashiest - Remy wanted to make an entrance. As he hacked through the system, he made sure to trigger as many alarms as he could find. Sadly, there weren’t that many. If he was going to end up staying here, he would have to change that. 

Once the gates were unlocked, he climbed back onto his bike, ready to put on a show. He had often been accused of being a peacock - often enough by his _femme_ that all of the sting was gone from the words, and was just accepted as fact. Now was the time to strut. He pulled a card out of the special pocket on the inside of his jacket, taking a second to look it over. Mattie had always told him that cards could show the future, and he had pulled the card that meant new beginnings - The Fool. In a normal card deck, that card was the Joker. There was a small smile on his face as he let just a hint of a charge into the card, watching it start to glow before he casually tossed the card at the gates. The card exploded as soon as it touched the metal, sending the gates themselves crashing open.

“That ought to have caught dere attention.” he mused, revving his bike before using it to crash through the gates. As he kept driving, making his way up the long and winding drive, he surveyed the property, keeping an eye out for any sort of security traps. To his surprise, he didn’t see any. But he kept going, revving his engine a few more times to make sure to make as much noise as possible.

By the time he parked in front of the Mansion, there was a whole group waiting there for him, but his eyes landed on one in particular. Her hair was long and dark, curling over her shoulders with a thick streak of white blonde in it. Her arms were crossed over her chest, the same look on her face that Darcy got when she was fed up with him. Despite knowing that it wasn’t his wife standing there, his heart sped up in his chest just looking at her. 

He hopped off the bike, leaning against it as he lit a cigarette, letting the familiar smell of cloves waft over him. The action calmed his nerves, allowing his poker face to settle back into place by the time he was halfway done.

“If it ain't de leather brigade.” He quipped, letting a smirk curl across his lips. There were six of them standing in front of him, but he could make out at least ten kids in the windows - all different ages and watching in abject fascination. He smirked - one of them, a girl maybe a few years younger than him with short, choppy black hair was practically falling out the window in her effort to see what was going on.

The woman who looked so much like his _ange_ stepped forward, and his heart dropped when green eyes glared at him. “Who the hell ahre yah?” She asked, cocking a hip. Her accent spoke of a southern belle, and the last bit of hope drained away. There was no sweet hints of the bayou in her voice - just pure Mississippi sugar with a hint of spice.

*De name's Gambit.” He said, pulling a deck of cards out of his pocket, beginning to shuffle them. “Heard dat dis is de place fo’ mutants.”

But judging by the looks on their faces, this was another place that he wasn’t going to fit in at. They were staring at him with open suspicion, and while it hurt slightly, he had long since grown used to it. No matter where he went, he seemed to get the same reaction. The last time that he had been met with a warm welcome - other than at a card table or in a back-alley fight - was… his mind flashed back to blue eyes and sunshine, a laugh that sounded like home and the smell of drying herbs.

He pulled himself from that train of thought before he could get too far along that depressing route, smiling at the people who were still scowling at him. One of them stepped forward, and his demeanor had Remy scowling on principle. He held himself stiffly, almost in a military stance. A red visor covered his eyes, giving away exactly who he was before he even said a single word.

"We know all about you, Gambit." Cyclops said, and judging by his tone Remy already knew what the other man had heard. That and his body language said that he thought he knew everything that he needed to know about the other mutant, and he didn’t like any of it. "What we don't know is why you're here."

Still, if there was one thing that he was good at, it was talking himself out of - and occasionally into - sticky situations. So he smiled at the mutant in front of him, trying to make himself look as non-threatening as possible. “If y’ve heard about Gambit, den y’know what he’s capable of, _non_?” 

The woman who still reminded him far too much of Darcy stepped forward again, arms crossed over her chest. Her entire body was covered, from head to toe. He took special note of that - it was unlikely that it meant anything good.

"Y've got raw power covered." Remy pointed out, allowing his eyes to drag over the assembled team. "But what Gambit don't see is anyone with any sort o' stealth to dem." He pointed out, raising a brow. "What're y' gonna do de first time dat one of y'r team goes missing? Or y’ need to get inside someplace, stage a rescue?” He continued playing with the deck in his hand, shuffling them in the most complicated way that he could to distract himself. If his attention was fixed on shuffling the cards, he wouldn’t be able to throw them all at the smug asshole who was staring him down.

The two men stared each other down - one of them a fierce military leader, the other a thief and a crook. They seemed to have a silent conversation with each other - something that might have been possible if Cyclops had telepathic powers, or if Gambit hadn’t spent the last six months or so building his mental shields up to the point where his mind was impenetrable. He didn’t care how good the X-Men’s intentions were. He wasn’t trusting anyone anywhere near his brain ever again.

Still, Scott seemed to like whatever he had figured out from their silent conversation. “You can stay.” the man decided - the short nod that he gave as punctuation was almost the only movement that he made. “But one wrong move and you're out, understood?”

Remy couldn’t help but smile in spite of himself - this felt right. This was where he was supposed to be right now, Mattie’s spirits were telling him. This place would bring him closer to finding his wife again. " _Merci_ , Scotty." 

“And don’t call me Scotty.”

“ _Oui_ , Scotty.” He said sarcastically, earning himself a snort of amusement from someone. That was the one person that he locked in on.

Out of the whole group, the only ones that didn't immediately treat him like trash were the man who had laughed, and the woman standing next to him. Everyone else had tried to put distance between them from the second that he pulled up on his bike - and while these two didn’t run up to him, they didn’t back away, either. The man he was more than familiar with - short and built like a brawler, covered in hair and obvious issues with the team leader - it could only be the Wolverine. The legends of the feral mutant had even managed to reach the reclusive Guilds, spreading tales of the man who always lived, who fought with the strength of ten men and his terrifying claws. But the woman was someone he had never seen before. He would have remembered her, that much he knew. Her hair was long - nearly down to her waist - and pure white, like spun sugar. It matched well with her blue eyes, while contrasting perfectly with her dark skin. Curiously enough, she was also the only one not dressed in leathers. Instead, she wore a basic tank top and flowing skirt. 

He made his way over to the woman, sweeping into a low bow and taking her hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. It was a cheesy move and he knew it - but she laughed, and that was more than enough for him. His heart and soul belonged to his _ange_ , and always would, but it was always a good idea to make friends - and his charm was always the best way to do that. “ _Enchante, mademoiselle._ ” he murmured, straightening back up. “Dey call me Gambit - de Prince of T’ieves. An’ who might you be, _mais_?”

Logan was already laughing as Remy stood up - shaking silently with knowledge that the Cajun didn’t have. Then he looked at the woman, and realized why the Wolverine was laughing. The woman wasn’t smiling anymore - her eyes dancing with the threat of a storm. “They call me Storm - Queen of the Nile.” she said, her voice deep and melodious, full of warmth and an almost grounding presence. “The Windrider, Goddess of the Rains.”

Remy froze for a second, running over what he had just been told. Part of his own danger didn’t come from his powers - it came from the position he held, the friends that he had in every corner of the underworld. This was a woman who had him beat on both accounts. “Well alright den, _cher_.” he said, a slow smile crossing his face. “Y’ got dis poor boy beat. _Je suis desole_.” 

He didn't know how long he was going to be here - he didn't even know if he was going to stay through the night. What he did know was that Xavier's was a crossroads for mutants - if his Darcy was going to end up anywhere, it would most likely be there. After all, this was a haven for those pushed aside and disenfranchised, mutants without a home. And his wife was an angel in disguise, always there for anyone that needed her.

Where else would she find a building full of powered people that needed her help like this?


	15. Chapter 15

Jane had originally bought plane tickets for them all to go to New Mexico, only to be surprised when Darcy refused them. The New Orleans native had gone even paler than she normally was at the sight of the tickets, hiding them out of sight before Marie could see them and get excited. Jane was a little hurt at first - the other woman had already promised to come with her, but there was always the chance that she had changed her mind.

But it all made sense once Darcy explained her reasoning. People were bad enough about silly things like each other’s skin color when it came to airport security - they would be even more paranoid over a child with demon eyes. Darcy had already seen it happen the one time that she and Remy had tried to fly somewhere during their time on the run and they had had to deal with the TSA. That particular incident had ended in the pair of them being banned from that specific airport for the rest of their lives. And while she knew that her daughter would be exposed to that kind of hatred at some point in her life, she wanted her to keep her innocence for just a while longer.

They followed Jane to New Mexico, driving cross country to get there. It took a little over two days in the tank of a car that Jane had bought with her - the Pinguazer was old and rickety and in danger of falling apart at any given second, but it got the job done. But no matter how much Jane reassured her, Darcy was praying the entire time that the car wouldn’t catch on fire. They stopped a few times either to eat, sleep, or do touristy things. But most of the trip was spent with Marie regaling Jane with stories of her and her mother’s travels - stories that mostly involve illegal things and her _Grandmere_ Peggy. Those were her favorite stories, but no matter how many times Jane asked, Darcy would never tell her if they were true or not.

Still, settling into New Mexico was different. Puente Antigo was a small town - one of the ones where everyone knew everyone else, and they were all suspicious of outsiders. Darcy and Marie were used to it. Every town that they had ever moved to was the exact same way. Jane was a bit put off by it, but Darcy convinced her - give the town some time to get used to them, and everything would be fine by the end of the month. Even if by some chance no one in town liked them, they would be fine. It took them about a week to set up the lab space and get a routine started, and then they were golden.

After awhile, even the townspeople started to get used to them - at least to the point where they no longer got any dirty looks from them. Marie learned her letters from her mother while her new _Tante_ Jane taught her about the stars. Darcy learned that scientists were every bit as difficult to care for as a toddler was - except maybe worse because you couldn't throw a scientist over your shoulder and carry them to their room when they weren't listening.

Not that that stopped her from trying. For someone so tiny, Jane was surprisingly strong.

But for all Jane's quirks, she was surprisingly good with Marie - making sure the little girl didn't get into too much trouble, reminding her to eat and to go to sleep on time. Ironic, considering that she couldn't remember to do the same thing herself most days. While working for Jane could be an experience at times, at others it was nice to just have a friend - one that was neither four years old or the heiress to a murderous empire. It was nice to occasionally climb up on the roof of the car-dealership-turned-lab and get wasted on cheap tequila, spilling secrets under the stars. Peggy still called at least once a week, and Bella checked in every few days. Both women were far too protective - but that wasn’t a bad thing. It helped her relax a bit, for one - she knew that if anything were to ever happen, Marie would be fine.

8888

New Mexico was the first place that she has actually felt warm since leaving home. Everywhere else was cold - and while the dry heat was far different than the humidity of the bayou that she was used to, it was still a vast improvement. For the first time in a long time, she was able to put away ninety percent of her sweater collection without feeling like she was going to freeze as a result.

Dr. Erik Selvig joined their little ragtag group not long into their stay in Puente Antigo - they had been there for three months at the most. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of Jane’s assistant or her daughter - and at first neither one of them knew what to make of him. But he knew stories, lots of them. And that was more than enough to get Marie on his side. And with her daughter now obsessed with the man, Darcy quickly took him under her wing as well.

She didn’t mind it - it just meant that there was an extra babysitter around when she needed one. It was rare that that happened - normally only if Jane needed her for data collection and the lady down the street was busy. Other than that, it wasn’t like he added much extra work to her schedule - it just meant making extras at lunch. Erik was surprisingly self-sufficient for one of her scientists.

On nights that they had to go out and Science!, the old lady who ran the post office had agreed to watch Marie. That plan worked well ninety-nine percent of the time - until the night that they went out into the desert and ended up hitting a strange man with their van. Darcy felt terrible about it, but she also didn’t want her daughter around a possible psychopath. So Marie spent the night at the neighbor’s - the first night that she had spent away from her mother in her entire life.

So when they brought Thor back to the lab after springing him from the hospital, she made her way across the street to get her daughter.

Darcy slipped next door, leaving the scientists alone for just a moment. The little girl was overjoyed to see her mother - while she always liked going over to the neighbor’s house to play, she had also spent most of her life practically glued to her mother’s side. The day and a half that it had taken them to figure out that Thor wasn’t a threat was the longest that they had ever been apart, and both of them were feeling the effects of the separation. So after lunch at the diner - filled by the excited ramblings of a child who _had so many things to tell y’, mama_ \- they started to head back to the lab. She tried to take a moment to warn Marie that there would be someone new in the lab, but the little girl ran ahead before she had a chance to say anything.

“ _Tante_ Jane! You're back!” the little girl froze as soon as she saw Thor, red eyes going wide as she stared up at him. Between the hair, the armor that he had been wearing, and the permanent scowl that he had seemed to have until that very moment, Thor cut an imposing figure. But now, in hand-me-down scrubs and beaming at the little girl staring back at him, he seemed much less intimidating. The blond just stared back at her, smiling awkwardly at the little girl. “You're very tall, _Monsieur_.”

The giant man smiled - far more relaxed now that he saw she wasn’t going to freak out at all - and bent down so he was on Marie's level. Darcy tensed. She didn't care how pretty Thor was - or how lickable his body was - if he harmed a hair on her child’s head, she would kill him herself. If the warrior noticed the way that she was tensed and ready for action, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he moved slowly, carefully telegraphing every move before he made it so that it was perfectly clear what he was doing.

“That I am, young maiden.” He replied, and even with his formal speech they could all tell that the little girl in front of him was making his heart melt. “And who might you be?”

“Marie.” The little girl said, grinning up at him before asking, “Are y’ a scientist too?” Darcy had to work to hide her laugh - Marie was convinced that everyone was a scientist now. After all, all of the adults that she had met recently were scientists. Her new favorite thing was finding out what kind of science everyone did.

But Thor merely shook his head. “I am not, fair maiden." She was bouncing on her feet with excitement from the sheer amount of questions that she had to ask him, and he was reminded of why he loved children. Everything excited them, not just battles and training exercises. He could see her mother - the woman who had taken him down with his own element - watching them carefully. He didn’t blame her. From what he had seen, 

She studied him carefully for a minute. “You talk funny.” she said, very seriously - and he couldn’t help the snort of laughter that her words caused.

“Marie, that's not very nice.” Darcy said, although she couldn't really blame her daughter for pointing it out.

“ _Desole_ , mama.” she looked upset for a moment before perking up again, turning her attention back to the Asgardian. “D’you like pancakes, _monsieur_?” she asked, tilting her head to one side. Darcy knew that if she could see her daughter’s face at that moment, it would have looked exactly like her father’s - the little half-pout that he did when curious had somehow passed onto the daughter that he had never met.

“I do not know the answer to that - what are these cakes that you speak of?”

Darcy groaned, already knowing what her daughter’s answer would be. Marie was obsessed with pancakes - would eat them for every meal if she was allowed to. The thought of teaching someone what pancakes were was sure to have

Sure enough, Marie was practically vibrating in place from excitement. “ _Maman_!” she called out, already tugging on her mother’s arm. “ _Pouvons-nous enseigner à monsieur_ Thor _les pancakes_?” she asked, shooting her mother another look that she had somehow managed to inherit from her father despite never actually seeing him do it - Remy had gotten his way more times than she had been able to count with that pout.

Unfortunately for his daughter, her mother was immune to the look after seeing it so many times. She shook her head, smoothing back her daughter’s hair. “We just ate lunch, Marie.” she reminded the girl. 

“ _Sil tu plait_?” Marie asked, and Darcy couldn’t help her grin. Cajun French was still her primary language, and she often switched to it - even though Marie would probably never end up in the Crescent City in her life, Darcy still wanted her daughter to know her roots. It was important to her. Important enough that she broke the promise that she had made to Peggy to always use her fake accent and used her normal voice - only when it was the two of them, but she still did it. As a result, Marie spoke a mix of Cajun French and English that never failed to make her mother smile.

“In the morning, monkey.” Darcy said, ruffling Marie’s hair and laughing when she grimaced. “Promise.”

Thor watched the exchange, looking baffled the entire time. “Do the children of Midgard speak their own language?” the Asgardian asked. It was something that he had never heard of before, yet it was the only thing that seemed to make sense. None of the adults in the room had spoken it so far, but the only one who seemed to understand it - other than him, thanks to the Allspeak - was the child’s mother.

“What?”

Thor pointed to Marie, this time choosing to ignore the way that everyone else in the room tensed. “The child - she speaks in a different tongue.” he pointed out.

“The child has a name, _sil tu plait_.” Darcy snapped, pulling her daughter close - and then holding her tight when she tried to squirm away. She could see just how much her daughter was intrigued by the newcomer, but she wasn’t about to take any chances with Marie’s life. “It’s Marie.”

“My apologies.” the Asgardian said, at least having the social grace to look bashful. Darcy just shook her head, lifting Marie up onto her hip with a small grunt. It wouldn’t be too long before the kid would be too big to be carried like that - not that it would stop her.

“Right.” she said, already heading towards the cot in the back where Marie slept. “Janey, get blonde and biceps settled in for the night - in the morning, we’ll teach him all about pancakes.”

8888

Izzy’s Diner had just started to slow down from the breakfast rush when they got there. The five of them took their usual table, Darcy fussing slightly as she got Marie settled into her booster chair. One of the waitresses was already on her way over with their drinks and food - they were in here often enough that the staff had their orders memorized and ready for them when they came in. “How did you get inside that cloud?” Jane asked, not waiting even a second longer. 

Darcy looked at him, almost disgusted as he started to dig into the pancakes that Marie had ordered for him. “Also, how could you eat an entire box of Pop-Tarts and still be hungry?” she asked. The man was worse than Jane and Marie combined - even Erik occasionally joined in on their pop-tart binges. But none of them had ever managed to eat an entire box by themselves. 

Thor demolished his first pancake before doing anything else, much to Marie’s pleasure. Then he picked up the coffee, drinking half of it in a single go. “This drink, I like it.” he said, looking surprised.

“I know!” Darcy smiled, passing Marie her plate once everything was cut up. “Its great, right?” she personally preferred it with chicory, but that was harder to get her hands on these days. Still, no matter how good her coffee was, she had never had the same reaction that Thor did.

“Another!” he shouted, throwing the mug on the floor so that it shattered. Marie screamed, covering her face with her hands even as Darcy moved to cover her daughter. 

“ _Merde!_ ” Darcy hissed, glaring at the man. He might have been twice her size and made of pure muscle, but she was more than willing to try and take him out. And if she couldn’t do it, then Bella definitely could.

Jane shot them both a look even as she started to clean it up, waving off their waitress when she tried to help. “Sorry, Izzy, little accident.” she waited until everything was cleaned up and everyone’s interest had waned before jumping down the Asgardian’s throat. “What was that?” she demanded, eyes narrowed as she glared. 

“It was delicious!” Thor said, smiling innocently - as if he didn’t understand what he had just done. “I want another.”

The adult humans at the table all exchanged a look - one that clearly asked is he being serious. Unfortunately, the answer was a resounding yes. Still, Jane turned to keep glaring at him. “Well you could have just said so.” she snapped after a minute.

But Thor still looked like he didn’t see what the problem was. He laughed, watching as Jane tried to find the last chunk of the porcelain that made up the mug with a bemused expression on his face. “I just did.”

Jane scoffed, looking at him like he had two heads. Darcy could relate - she often had the exact same look on her face when she would deal with Remy and Henri in the past. Princes, the lot of them - not used to being corrected. “No, I mean ask.” she pointed out, a hint of an edge to her words. “Nicely.”

Finally, he seemed to realize that he had done something wrong. “I meant no disrespect.” the Asgardian said, looking between them all like he was checking to make sure that they believed him. And while Erik didn’t seem to be a hundred percent sure, the others were. Even Marie was nodding her head solemnly, her pigtails swishing with every movement.

Jane just huffed, looking irritated. “Alright… well, no more smashing.” she said, staring the man down until she was sure that he would uphold the rule that she had just imposed. “Deal?”

“You have my word.” Everything was quiet for a good thirty seconds as everyone slowly began to eat again. 

“Mr. Thor?” Marie spoke up from where she sat next to her mother in her booster seat. She painted quite the picture - her pigtails were tucked behind her shoulders so that they would stay out of her food, and Darcy had tucked a napkin into her collar to keep her from spilling on her herself. Still, her face was practically covered in syrup from the pancakes, and there were traces of the sticky substance on her hands and arms as well. A tiny scowl was on her face, her arms crossed over her chest as she stared down the Asgardian with narrowed eyes.

Thor did his best to keep from smiling at the expression on the five-year-old’s face. “Yes, my lady?” he asked, keeping his tone of voice as even as he could. 

“Mama says dat we don’t break t’ings.” Marie lectured, still staring him down. “Its not nice.”

“Of course not. My mother - the Queen of Asgard - often says the same thing to my brother and I.” Darcy was trying to hold back the urge to giggle at the look on Thor’s face as he tried to talk his way out of being scolded by her daughter. It was honestly adorable - but the Asgardian was fighting a losing battle.

“Marie,” Darcy said gently, interrupting her daughter. “I’m sure Mr. Thor didn’t mean to break the cup. And he’s already apologized. So leave him be, _sil tu plait_ , and eat y’r pancakes.”

“Yes, Mama.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this week is crazy, and I don't think any of us are ever going to forget what happened on Wednesday night. Please everybody stay safe. I for one am planning on looking through pictures of the attack to see if I recognize anyone in the crowd to turn them in to the FBI :)
> 
> In better news - I finally get to go home after my accident! The doctors cleared me, and while I still have to use my walker when I leave my house I don't have to use it in my house which I'm super excited about. So I get to leave my parents on Monday :)
> 
> Please review!


	16. Chapter 16

They were walking home from the diner, Marie running ahead of them all. She was upset - her new best friend, Mr. Thor, had just left them. After their little showdown, Marie had taken to the newcomer rather quickly. All that it had taken to get the little girl on his side were a few stories about his home. She had especially liked the stories that he had of all of the creatures that lived on Asgard - mythical beasts that her mama had told her stories about on several occasions. So she was more than a little upset when her newest story-teller had left them. She was mad enough to be running ahead of them, racing back to their lab space. Darcy and Jane weren’t worried - the town wasn’t too big, and they were close enough that they would be able to see her run inside from where they were standing. Still, that didn’t keep Erik from worrying.

“Marie!” Erik called after the little girl, his brow wrinkling in concern. “Wait for us please!”

“She'll be fine, Erik.” Darcy said, a few steps behind him. “Don't worry so much.” While there had been a few people at first in the middle of nowhere town who had had issues with her baby girl, they had quickly been quieted. She wasn't sure if it had been her flashing her knives, or if Belle had stepped in. But either way, the townspeople left them well enough alone.

They had just said goodbye to Thor when Jane saw the first truck leaving with her equipment. She was running within seconds, Darcy following hot on her heels. While Jane was rightfully worried about her research, Darcy was more concerned with her daughter walking into the belly of the beast. 

The two women rounded the corner, both of them springing into action almost immediately. Jane went charging after the man in charge, determined to get her things back. Meanwhile, Darcy went racing for her daughter, who had found herself in the middle of a group of soldiers. “Mama! Dey're takin’ Auntie Jane's things!” Marie called out, racing back over to her mother, weaving her way through the soldiers. Her eyes flashed - hitting the light just right so that they shone red - and one of the soldiers reared back.

"It's a mutant!" He yelled, face twisting in disgust.

She was on high alert in a second, ripping her way through the assembled soldiers and curling around her daughter with a speed that she hadn't used in years. Her muscles ached already, but it was more than worth it. “Don't y’ touch her!” She snarled, baring her teeth. She may not have had fangs like some of the mutants that she had met over the years, but her expression was more than enough to get her point across.

One of them - still an agent, but dressed in a suit instead of the all-black fatigues that the foot soldiers wore - broke through the crowd, standing in between the women and the soldier with his gun. “Stand down!” He barked, his tone leaving no room for argument. Even though the soldier did as his superior told him to, Darcy stayed in her position, anxiously wrapped around her daughter. Everyone in the room had gone still, waiting to see what would happen next.

The suited agent - the one that Jane had been shouting at seconds ago - stepped forward, approaching her like one would a wild animal. “Miss Lewis, I completely understand if you want to press charges.” 

She straightened up, pulling Marie up with her so that she was sitting on her hip. Marie buried her face in her mother’s neck, clinging tightly to her. This wasn’t the first time that something like this had happened, unfortunately - and it probably wouldn’t be the last. But Marie knew that her mother would protect her no matter what happened, so she just held on and waited it out. 

“I would, yes.” Darcy said, her voice shaking slightly as she tried to calm down her daughter. This had been happening her entire life - first as a child with Remy, then on the run with her husband. It was easier for her to blend in - the only physical sign of her mutation was the streak in her hair. But her husband - because no matter how far he ran, he was still her husband - and her daughter had a much harder time of things.

The agent nodded, his face smoothing out into something that she assumed was supposed to be comforting. “Of course, Miss Lewis.” he said, gesturing off to one side. “Right away. If you’d follow me…”

But she still hesitated, holding onto her daughter and running a hand through her hair. Marie was beginning to calm down, but she hadn’t gotten to the point where Darcy felt comfortable putting her down. “One second.” she said softly, and the agent nodded as she turned away from him. She looked at her friend, and Jane already knew what she was going to ask before she had a chance to say a word. “Jane, can you watch Marie?”

Jane nodded, still glaring at the soldiers around them even as she moved to take Marie. “I got her.” she said. But Marie wasn’t moving - instead, she curled tighter into Darcy’s side, grabbing at her hair and pulling. Darcy winces, already moving to detangle little fingers from her curls. 

“Marie, _reste avec Tante_ Jane, _d'accord_?” she muttered under her breath, low enough that only her daughter would be able to hear her. Something told her that far too many of the soldiers in the room would be interested in anything that she had to say to her daughter. “ _Maman sera de retour_.”

Marie clung just a little bit tighter. “But Mama…”

Her heart nearly broke at the fear in her daughter’s voice. But there were some things that needed to be done alone, and this was one of them. So she pressed a kiss to her hair, smoothing it back with one hand as she passed her daughter to her boss. “Stay with your _tante_ , monkey.”

With Marie taken care of, she moved towards the agent, schooling her face into a neutral expression. It had been a long time since she had played any games like these - games of politics and intrigue. Over seven years. Still, she found that it was still as easy as breathing.

She walked up to the agent, making sure that all of her masks were in place before she said a single word. She was of the Guilds, no matter how long she had been gone. That would never change. And at the moment, she had work to do.

8888

She had gone out to the only grocery store in town the next morning - Thor had come back at some point during the night and was eating them out of house and home, and she needed to restock if she wanted to feed them all. Marie had stayed with Jane - she had refused to leave her _tante's_ side ever since the SHIELD agents had stopped by. She had somehow become convinced that if she left her aunt’s side the astrophysicist would be taken by SHIELD. But it had still taken considerable effort to get her to stay with Jane instead of clinging to Darcy the whole time - finally, she had just bribed her with Pop-Tarts and beignets. That had been enough to make Marie reconsider, and latch onto her aunt instead.

She was almost finished - all that she still needed to buy were juice boxes and tampons. Marie liked the grape ones, while Jane preferred apple. She finally found them, loading them into the cart before turning to make her way to check-out. 

“Miss Lerisse.”

Two agents were standing in front of her - the one that she had talked to to file a complaint the night before, and one that she hadn’t seen yet. The barest flicker of recognition and surprise flashed through her eyes at the name, but other than that she didn't react at all like Coulson thought she would. Tilting her head slightly to one side, her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Who? Sorry dude, I think you forgot my name.” she said, giving him a look as if he had just drooled on his shirt before turning her attention back to the rows of spices in front of her. She didn't need any, but it served as a welcome distraction. "It's Lewis, remember?"

"I'd like to know any information you have on the Guilds, please.” He asked, keeping his tone as bland as possible. While they could never tie her to either the Thieves or Assassins, SHIELD knew that she was associated with them. Her file was perfect - almost too perfect. Everything was exactly in order, every page done the way it should. But Coulson wasn’t Nick Fury’s one good eye for nothing - he saw things that other people didn’t. Noticed things that people shouldn’t. So he saw that all of her information had been put into the system two years earlier - had been put into every system two years earlier. Before that, Darcy Lewis hadn’t existed. 

After that, it hadn’t taken much digging to find out the truth about Miss Darcy Lerisse.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she managed to stay calm. "I don't know what you're talking about." She said, pulling a few bottles off of the shelf and dropping them into her basket. They weren’t anything that she needed, but it gave her a few extra seconds to compose herself.

Coulson arched an eyebrow, the only hint of emotion on his face. It was far too smug for her liking - the man "Then please explain this file." He replied, tone even as he showed her his tablet. On the screen was a file, complete with her picture and any non-incriminating information that Peggy had managed to learn from her.

"Damn it, Peg." She sighed, dropping all pretenses - including the accent she had been hiding behind for the past two years. “Now y’ listen t’ me, an’ y’ listen good, _d'accord_? I don't know anyt'in’ about de Guilds anymore. I haven't been anywhere near dem since I ran years ago.” She lied through her teeth, pulling upon years of skill at lying to keep from giving anything away.

The only one she talked to these days was Belle, and there was no way she would betray her. Despite their rocky start, the lethal blonde had quickly become like a sister to her - to the point where she was Marie's _marraine_.

Not to mention, there was always a chance that anything connected to the Guilds would lead back to Remy. And despite how much she hated him some days, there was no way that she would let anything happen to him.

Coulson stared at her for a moment, and she stared right back. If he thought that she was going to back down, he had another thing coming. “Why did you run, Miss Lerisse?” Coulson asked, and she smirked, putting a bit of edge into it to make him uncomfortable.

“The devil was after me, so I ran.” She said. _And took him with me_ , she added mentally.

Coulson stared at her for a moment, his tone as dry as the desert as he repeated her words. “The devil was after you.”

“Y’ know what dey say about N'awlins, _monsieur_.” She drawled, leaning forward slightly and folding her arms over her chest. To his credit, the agent's eyes veered downward only briefly. “Dere's magic in de air, and demons in de bayou.”

“Miss Lerisse.” Coulson said again, and the hint of regret in his tone made her nervous. “Let me make this perfectly clear to you. If you continue to cause trouble, things might happen… particularly to those close to you.” There was a warning in his eyes that told her exactly what he meant by that.

That had her standing upright once more, getting in their faces in a heartbeat. “I'm going to leave now, and you're going to let me. And if you ever even think about trying to bring my daughter into this again, they will not find your body. _D'accord_?”. She didn’t wait to see how they would react - with her piece said, she headed for the door, leaving the groceries behind. Restocking the pantry could wait. She had more important things to take care of at the moment.

The agent watched her leave, not even reacting when his second in command spoke for the first time since they had approached her. “That was cold, boss.” Clint Barton said, side-eyeing his handler. There hadn't been a single time yet where Coulson had given him a reason to doubt him, but there was a first time for everything.

"But necessary.” Phil argued, still watching her leave. Clint might have known that his threat was empty, but Miss Lewis hadn’t - and the amount of fear and rage that was currently running through her body was enough to make anyone dangerous. “With how Rumlow reacted to her daughter today, the safest thing to do is get the younger Miss Lewis as far from here as possible.”

Barton sighed. His handler had a point - he usually did. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

8888

As soon as she was far enough away that she was sure they couldn't hear her, she pulled out her phone, dialing a number that she had memorized long ago. She kept her pace as steady as she could as she made her way back to the lab, trying to keep from drawing any unnecessary attention to herself. Even as she went, her mind kept playing what Agent Coulson had said in a loop.

Finally, she heard the click of a speaker as the person on the other end picked up. “ _Oui_.” The woman said, and the world narrowed down to just that phone call. The wave of relief that crashed over her at the sound of the voice nearly knocked her to her knees even as she hurried up the street. She could see the little old man who ran the gas station giving her a strange look. She just smiled and waved, hoping that he wouldn’t try to stop her for any reason.

“Belle.” Darcy said, the fear crashing over her in a wave now that she was out of there. She was safe - there was no need to worry about that. But there was every chance that they would come after Marie. Peggy was technically retired - there wasn’t much that she could do to help them if SHIELD decided to come after Marie. She raced back to the dealership that they currently called home, ignoring the looks on her friends' faces as she tore through the place, heading towards the cot that Marie was asleep on. She relaxed slightly when she saw her little girl sleeping soundly, but still kept a close eye on her.

“Darcy?” Belladonna asked, her tone melting into familiarity and a hint of urgency coloring her words. “Darcy, what's de matter?”

“I need y’ t’ come an’ take Marie back home with y’, _sil tu plait_.” she said, settling down on the bed next to her daughter. She saw Jane peek her head in, but waved her off - as nice as it was to have the astrophysicist around, this wasn’t something that she could do anything about. “In de next day or so, if y’ can.”

“Of course I can, but what's goin’ on?” 

“Something big.” Darcy told her friend, getting herself back under control. “I don't know what it is, but it's big.”

8888

The next morning, Thor was the first one awake. Midgard was strange - its inhabitants seemed to sleep until long after the sun rose, a very strange concept to the alien prince. He ambled into the main area of the labs, only to freeze when he saw someone new in the lab - a lithe blonde woman with piercing blue eyes, perched up on a lab table like a queen sitting on her throne. She was dressed in black shorts and a low-cut red blouse, and was using a small dagger to clean under her nails. "Can see why y' like it here, _chere_. Feels like home." She said, not even bothering to look up at first. 

Thor stared at her, completely baffled. “I know not this _chere_ you speak of.”

That caught her attention, and quickly. She stopped playing with the dagger, flipping it in her palm to grip it properly even as her body tensed. Thor tensed as well - she might have been much smaller than he was, but he had fought with the Lady Sif often enough to know that that had nothing to do with how capable she was. “Who de hell are you?” she snapped. Her accent was familiar - it sounded almost identical to the one that the Lady Darcy naturally used. It hadn’t taken him long to realize that the Lady Darcy was putting on a mask of some sort. For as much as his brother liked to tease him about how little he used his brain, he was good at putting things together when he needed to. 

Still, standing there and staring at the woman would not help him to get her to relax. Therefore, introductions were in order. “I am Thor, Prince of Asgard. And who might you be?”

“Just a friend, _monsieur_.” she said, voice low and almost sultry. But the introduction had worked - the woman was still tense, but had relaxed slightly. “Dat’s all y’ need t’ know.” they both tensed again when they heard footsteps coming down the hall - and both of them relaxed when they turned to see Darcy hurrying towards them.

“Belle.” Darcy practically leapt on her friend, pulling her into a hug that the blonde eagerly returned. “ _Merci dieu_ , y’r here.”

“I see y’ moved on.” She said, giving Thor a significant look. “ _Bon_ \- dat _connard_ wasn't worth y'r time t’ begin with.” She said, but she rolled her eyes and put her hands up in deference at the look that Darcy shot her. Thor almost laughed, but knew better - the looks that the little lightning warrior could give out almost put his own mother’s to shame.

She shook her head, still glaring at the blonde. “That's not it - he's Jane's.”

“She ain't gonna share?” the woman asked, sounding disappointed. She eyed him up and down. “Dere’s plenty of ‘im t’ go ‘round.”

“Belle.” Darcy warned, sounding exasperated.

“ _Oui, je sais_.” She rolled her eyes, scoffing lightly. “But if y’ just wanted some alone time, y’ -”

But Darcy cut her friend off before she could continue. “SHIELD is here, Belle - dey t'reatened Marie.”

" _Quoi_?” Belle was on her feet, going from a relaxing woman to a deadly hunter in the time it took to blink. Thor studied the woman more carefully this time, taking in every inch of her. She was a warrior, he realized, much like the Lady Sif. It had been noticeable before - enough to make him wary. But now it was blatantly obvious that the woman was a threat. His hand itched for Mjolnir, and it made his heart ache.

“Dey threatened her.” she said, forcing herself to keep her voice even and her accent in place. “One of the agents came to me, warned me to get her out of town.” her voice was panicky, and Belle moved closer, already hurrying to reassure her.

“Don't worry, Darcy.” Belle reassured. “Everyt’in will be _bon_. I’ll take her home wit’ me, an’ Mattie an’ I will take good care of my _filleule_.” 

"You told Mattie?" Darcy said, whirling around. There was genuine fear in her eyes, and it made the others in the room uncomfortable. Something was going on that they didn’t know about, and it was making them all anxious.

But the blonde shook her head. “I didn't have t’ tell her.” Belle said, rolling her eyes. Mattie Baptiste was infamous - she knew everything, even the things that no one wanted her to know. “De woman already knew.”

"Of course she did." Darcy muttered under her breath. She seemed to have forgotten that there was even anyone else in the room, until Jane came in and drew her attention.

"Jane, go get Marie for me please " Darcy said, her tone broking no arguments. Her friend nodded - still with bedhead and half-asleep - and immediately turned around, heading back to the room that Darcy and Marie shared. The other women talked in harsh whispers the whole time while they waited, cutting themselves off the moment that Jane came back in with the baby.

Darcy made a beeline for her daughter, scooping her out of Jane’s arms before Marie even knew what was happening. “Hey monkey.” she said softly, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Can you say hi to Tante?”

" _Bonjour, Tante_.” Marie said, her mouth forming a sleepy little frown as she was passed from her aunt to her mother to her aunt. The blonde woman rocked her a bit, pressing a kiss to her auburn curls and smiling as the little girl just clung to her. Darcy raced around, quickly grabbing an already packed duffel bag from under her bed and dropping it at Belle’s feet. Thor raised an eyebrow when he saw that - the young woman who had taken him out with his own element was running from something. Only people who were worried for their safety and possibly their lives kept bags ready to go at all times.

“You're gonna go stay with _Tante_ Belle for a little, okay monkey?” Darcy said, quickly putting shoes on her daughter.

"I don't want t’ go!" Marie protested, kicking her feet as she worked her way into a tantrum. Even half-asleep, those could be formidable, and Marie’s tantrums could be worst than most. "I want t' stay an' play wit' T'or!"

"Marie!" Darcy snapped. Her nerves were shot - she had spent the whole night awake, sat next to her daughter’s bed as she waited for her best friend to arrive. Now she was running on no sleep and no coffee, trying to get her daughter to safety before SHIELD had a chance to figure out what was going on.

“Y’d better listen t’ y’r mama, or she’s gonna put de _gris gris_ on y’.” Belle warned, giving Marie a stern look. The little girl shrunk back slightly, a sheepish look forming on her face as she turned to face her mother.

“ _Desole_ , mama.” she apologized, her eyes focusing on the ground.

“It’s alright, monkey.” Darcy said, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. A conspiratorial smile crossed her face, gaining her daughter's attention. “You know... I bet if y’ ask y'r Tante really nicely, she'll make y’ beignets in the morning.” She said.

The scientists and Thor watched in amusement at those words sent Marie from being sad and upset into a frenzy of excitement. She turned to her aunt, bouncing to her feet and hurrying to grab the blonde by the hand. “Come on, tante, let’s go!”

The blonde woman smiled reassuringly at the little girl. “Go on out to de car, Marie - I’ll be dere in a second.” she said, giving the child a squeeze. “Just need t’ talk with y’r Mama first.” Nothing more was said until Marie left the room - there were certain things that children didn’t need to know about.

“I'll take care of her, y’ have m’ word.” Belle promised, and a look passed between the two women. It was one that Thor had seen a hundred times before - a look shared between two warriors before entering the field of battle. But as far as he was aware, both women were civilians. Neither one of them should know that look, or the emotions associated with it.

Belle nodded, then turned, heading for the door. But Darcy stopped her before she was gone. “Wait!” she called out. She took a deep breath - whatever she was about to say was serious. “Take her to Peg.”

“ _Quoi_?” Judging by the look on Belle’s face, that was the last thing that she had expected her friend to say. “Y' can't be serious.”

But Darcy shook her head. "I can't risk it right now." She said, keeping her voice low so that the others couldn't hear. "Normally we plan for months in advance before Marie goes home with you. We don't have that luxury this time."

“We'll be fine.”

Darcy raised an eyebrow, daring Belladonna to question her. The blonde might have been a queen, but Darcy was technically one as well. “Can you guarantee that?” she asked. “You and Peg are the only ones I have left, Belle. There's no one I trust more then the two of you.”

The next thing that Belle said wasn’t meant for anyone else in the room - and the second that she said it, she regretted it. “Y'd have y'r _mari batard_ if he wasn't _couillon_.” she muttered. But the look that Darcy sent her for that was enough to even have Thor flinching backwards.

“We wouldn't be in this situation at all in that case.” Darcy shot back, not even missing a beat. “Now are you going to take care of her or not?”

Belle almost looked insulted. “Y' know I will.”

The relief that flashed across her face was echoed by everyone else there - even if they didn’t know what was going on, they were still relieved that the child was going to be alright. “ _Merci_ , Bella.”

With that taken care of, Belle and Darcy headed outside, both Jane and Thor sticking close. Erik had joined them at some point, completely confused as to what was going on.

Marie was waiting in the backseat of a beat-up pick-up truck. The only thing in the car that didn’t look like it was at least ten years old and in need of repair was the car seat that she was sitting in - that was brand new, and state-of-the-art. "Be safe, monkey." Darcy whispered, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. Marie smiled at her mother, almost giggling until she saw the look on her mother’s face.

“ _Je t’aime_ , mama.” Marie said, looking up at her mother. She didn’t know exactly what was going on, just that she was going with her tante for a few days. Still, it was enough to make her nervous - she couldn’t remember a time that she had ever gone anywhere with just her tante.

Darcy smiled, working hard to hide the tears in her eyes. “ _Je t'aime aussi_ , monkey.”

Once she couldn’t see Belle’s car any longer, she turned to face her scientists and their new thunder god mascot. “Alright, my people!” she said, pasting a smile on her face, her worry disappearing with her accent. “Let’s get to work and kick some alien ass!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M FINALLY BACK HOME!!!!
> 
> Please Review, I love to know what you all think!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short, sad chapter today

The Mansion was quiet for once - kids were either home for summer vacation or out on the grounds somewhere, and all the others were doing their own things. It was the middle of the day - perfect weather to find something to do that would keep them far away from either the Ragin’ Cajun - who had definitely earned his nickname for the day - or Rogue. They were all specifically avoiding their two Southerners, who had been forced to opposite ends of the Mansion by the current leader of the X-Men, Scott Summers.

After their showdown earlier, it had been agreed that both Remy and Rogue needed some time to cool off.

It had started out simply enough. Rogue had accused Remy of flirting with the bartender when they had gone out for dinner the night before. Remy had denied it, saying that he would never do that to her, that he cared about her. And it was true - in the years that he had been at the Mansion, he had developed a soft spot for Rogue. It would never be like what he felt for Darcy. But those days were over, he had to accept it as fact at some point in his life. His contacts around the world were still looking for her, but she was nowhere to be found. According to his sources, she had dropped completely off the map a little over four years ago, and hadn’t been seen since. The odds of her still even being alive weren't good. And after mourning her loss for two years, Remy had started to force himself to move on. And even if she wasn’t dead, he doubted that she wanted the man who had run away from her coming back into her life. So he had moved on - he had forced himself to. 

But today was their anniversary - they would have been married for six years if things had gone the way they were supposed to. So he had picked a fight with Rogue so that he could be left alone for the day, drowning his sorrows by himself. But no matter how much he drank, he couldn’t get rid of the images that were flashing through his mind. A house in Old Aurora, for him and Darcy and maybe a baby or two. Family dinners with his Papa and Henri, and eventually taking over the Guild. Darcy - his _ange_ \- ruling at his side as his Queen. 

Even worse than those wishful dreams of the future were the memories of days gone by - days when he had his _femme_ by his side, ruling over the bayous in practice for one day ruling their home. When they ran through the streets of New Orleans, dancing to the songs that they had grown up listening to and constantly getting each other into and out of trouble. So he just drank more, determined to get rid of the pictures and memories that kept floating through his brain.

Of course, there was one person who was practically guaranteed to go looking for the Cajun the second that he had been told to leave him alone. Scott’s edicts had never meant much to the Wolverine - he liked to think of them as guidelines on what to do to make sure that he pissed off Scott even further than he usually did. Logan headed for the boathouse by the lake, knowing that that was where Gumbo liked to go when things went badly. If it was anyone else, he probably wouldn’t have even bothered looking for them, but he had to admit he had a soft spot for the kid. He was only halfway there when he began to smell booze on the air, and picked up his pace. It was never a good sign when he could smell the alcohol from that far away. Once he rounded the boathouse he found what he was looking for - Remy was sitting on the edge of the pier, a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a cigarette in the other.

“Ya alright, Gumbo?” The feral asked, moving carefully. The Cajun was already three sheets to the wind - if he got startled there was a good chance he might end up in the lake. And no matter how high his tolerance was, there was no way that he could swim with that much in his system.

“Y’ ever have somet’in so _bon_ dat it almost hurts?” he asked, taking another swig from the bottle, and Logan couldn’t help the way his nostrils flared. The kid already reeked of bourbon - it was surprising that he was still upright at all. “Only… only y’ don't know 'til it's too late what y’ have. Y’ know it's _amor_ , an’ y’ know dat dey can take care of demselves… but y’ run t’ protect dem anyway.”

“What'cha talkin’ about, Gambit?” Logan growled, hoping that the Cajun wasn't talking about who he thought. While Rogue and Remy might have seemed to work well at the beginning, they had what could be loosely called an explosive relationship. Not to mention, it hadn't escaped the Wolverine's notice that Remy had chosen to pursue a relationship with the one person at the Mansion who couldn't be touched. The one who was 'safe'.

“She’s _mon amour, mon ame… mon ange_.” he said, voice so soft and accent so thick that it took Logan a moment to understand what he was saying. His gaze was fixed on a piece of paper in his lap, and Logan moved closer to see what it was. At first he saw the streak in the girl’s hair and thought it was a picture of Rogue, but then he saw blue eyes and glasses and looked closer. The Remy in the picture was much younger - maybe eighteen at most - with none of the weight on his shoulders that he had now. His arms were wrapped around the smaller woman, looking at her with pure adoration on his face. “An’ Remy's just de po’ devil dat fell for an angel.”. He listed slightly to one side, and Logan grabbed him before he over balanced and ended up drowning. “She was m'everyt'in, an’ Remy gave her up.” Remy took another swig from the bottle, swaying slightly as he did. His voice was full of heartbreak - the low tones of a misery that was usually kept under lock and key. "An' when Remy had t' leave his home, didn't matter none cause his home came with him."

He eased the bottle away from the other man, making a mental note to get some water and maybe some food into him at the first opportunity. Remy was going to have the mother of all hangovers in the morning at the rate he was going. “Ya ever look for her?” he asked. It was rare that Gambit ever opened up about his past, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity pass. Chances were the thief wouldn't even remember the conversation come morning. This was the first that he had ever heard of this mystery woman, but it was obvious that Remy was still wrapped around her finger, even if she was no longer in the picture. Logan had been alive for a long time - centuries, maybe, even he wasn’t sure. He had met a lot of people, seen a lot of love stories. But he had only seen someone this in love with a ghost a handful of times.

Logan wasn’t even sure if he was going to remind him of it once the other man sobered up. It might get him more information, but it would most likely just hurt his friend. And while there were some things that were worth that, his own curiosity wasn’t.

Remy nodded, completely miserable as he rested his head on Logan’s shoulder. "Tried t’ find her - went back t’ where I left her, but dere was not'in’ dere.” he slurred. “Not even a note.”

“I keep m’ ears out for her.” He said softly, hanging his head low. “Watch de chatter, keep an eye on t’ings…” Auburn hair hung in his face, adding to the drunken effect. “But no one has heard of Darcy Lerisse in years.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> Also, I'm almost finished with writing this one and am starting to think about the next Darcy fic to write. Let me know if there are any other ideas that fit in the 'Strange Families' vein that you would like to see!


	18. Chapter 18

SHIELD was everywhere, monitoring their every move. It almost would have been flattering if it wasn’t so annoying - they were using up so much of their security personnel for just an astrophysicist and her intern. After New Mexico, they had faded into the background, but they were still there if you knew where to look. She was sure that Peggy was involved in it somehow, even now that Fury had officially taken over the reins. Of course, the other woman would never admit to such things, not even when asked directly during their weekly phone calls. But Darcy still knew.

Just like she knew that the invitation they had just received in the mail was a trap.

It was impressive, to say the least. An invitation from the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Norway, delivered through the closest thing to an official channel that they had. They had gotten one sent to Jane’s official Culver email, of course, but they had still sent a formal one with all the pomp and circumstance it required. A wax seal, crisp parchment paper… they had gone all out.

Darcy was waving the invitation in the air, flapping her arms like a chicken. Marie sat on the sofa, her blanket wrapped tightly around her as she watched her mother and aunt argue. She watched the scientist and her wrangler with fascination, Marie’s fingers tangling in her blankets as she played with them. “Jane, this is going to put you on the next level - people are starting to take you seriously and listen to what you have to say!” she stressed.

But Jane was not budging on the subject. “No.” she kept her head bent over the papers in front of her, a pen scribbling away furiously on the pages in front of her. She had been in that same position for the past seven hours, and it didn’t look like she was planning on moving anytime soon. “I’m not going.”

“What?” Darcy didn’t understand it. This was the opportunity they had been waiting for. The entire scientific community had spent years telling Jane that she was crazy for her theories, that everything that she believed in was ridiculous and that nothing that she did would ever be considered as proper science. Now she had the chance to prove to them all that she was right. After everything that they had gone through - alien invasions, gods, secret government agencies and late-night tantrums - she had the chance to prove them all wrong. And Jane refused to go. Darcy didn’t understand it in the slightest. “Why not?”

Finally, Jane looked up. The bags under her eyes were massive - she was pale and exhausted, wearing the same clothes that she had been wearing for the past four days. Her hair hung in a skinny rat tail of a ponytail, and in Darcy’s opinion her friend had never looked more perfect. This was Jane at her most pure - full of life and the spirit of knowledge, looking for so many answers. “It's in Norway, Darcy.” she said, exasperated. “Do you know how far that is? We couldn't get there without flying.” That was all it took for Darcy to realize what was really going on. 

And all of her defenses crumbled, just like that. Jane didn’t care about the prestige and honors that this would bring her - she only cared about her niece’s safety. Jane could get on her nerves a lot - she was needy, a little full of herself, and had the same eating habits as her four-year-old daughter. “Jane…” at that moment, they could have heard a pin drop on the lab floor. The only sound that could be heard was Marie’s movements.

“I'm not going, Darcy.” Jane said, shaking her head. “Not without you two.”

And despite everything, Darcy couldn’t find it in herself to be mad at the other woman for what she was doing. All of the fight drained out of her, leaving her smiling fondly at her pseudo-sister. “Love you too, Janie.” she sighed, then turned her attention back to the invitation in her hand. She looked over it again - despite the official-looking seal and parchment paper used to invite them, it was obviously a fake. The Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics was in Norway - Darcy had seen how anal Jane could get over little things like that. There was no way that the actual school would make that mistake. It was always the little things in a con that got you caught, she mused. “So what are we going to do?” she asked. She had been more than willing to go along with the ruse for Jane's sake - whatever SHIELD was trying to hide them from, it had to be bad if they were going about it like this. But since Jane didn't want to leave, that meant they needed a new plan.

That caught Jane’s attention - normally those words coming from Darcy were a bad sign. Either alcohol was involved, or Darcy had seen something that she wanted to steal. She was a little bit bird-like with that - anything shiny would catch her attention, and she almost always wanted it. “What do you mean?”

She was right to be worried - the look on her best friend’s face was enough to make even the most hardened man nervous. It was almost funny, really - that same look could make grown men cry when aimed at them. It just made Jane excited at this point. It always meant something exciting was going to happen soon. “If we’re not going to go to Norway, we have to get rid of the goon squad that SHIELD gave us.” Darcy pointed out reasonably.

“Okay. So how do we do that?”

That had Darcy looking at her in surprise, blue eyes wide. “What makes you think I know?” she asked. 

Jane just snorted, shaking her head slightly. “I’m not stupid, Darce.” she pointed out, a half smile on her face. “I’ve seen what you can do. I don’t really care where you learned it, but if we can use it to get out of this then let’s do it.”

Darcy studied her friend - she didn’t want to drag Jane into anything that the other woman wasn’t ready for. But she could tell just from the look in her friend’s eyes that she was ready for this - nothing that Darcy might say would change her mind. “Alright.” Darcy agreed. 

“Good.” Jane looked relieved - Darcy had never given into something so easily. Of course, usually Jane wanted things like to keep working during a seven-day Science Bender - letting her tag along when they ran away from an all-powerful government agency was much less damaging than that. “So what’s the plan?”

But Darcy just shook her head, her mind already whirling as she tried to figure out exactly how to go about this. Marie’s duffel bag had been repacked since her stay with Belle, and her’s was tucked right alongside it. Jane would need one, though - otherwise she wouldn’t have anything to wear at all. “Oh no, boss lady.” she said absentmindedly, mind still racing. “The less people who know the plan, the better. Just wait. I'll let you know when we’re making our move.”

8888

She waited until the early hours of the morning - two-thirty, three at the latest. It was the easiest time to do it - late night trips weren’t out of the ordinary with Jane, all of them used to study the stars. Her hair was still braided down her back as she hurried around the lab area, thick pigtails that swung with every movement. Marie was sitting up on her bed, quiet as a mouse as she watched her mother move around. She was used to this by now and knew the drill - she was supposed to just stay put while her mama did everything, stay where she could see her. They had done this so many times in her life that at this point it didn’t even surprise her. So she just sat there, watching her mother hurry, packing everything up. 

Finally, everything was together - Darcy had packed up almost everything that they needed in the car that morning, taking advantage of the few blind spots in the security that SHIELD had set up for them. It wasn’t hard - they weren’t taking much with them, and even then, Darcy had become an expert at packing over the years. Now all that was left to do was get them all to the car and to the highway without being noticed. Which meant she would have to do the thing that she had been dreading the most - wake up Jane.

It took almost five minutes of dedicated shaking to even get the astrophysicist to roll over, let alone wake up. “Darcy?” Jane asked, voice hoarse with sleep. She sat up in bed, her hair standing out several inches from her skull. She was still half asleep, but was awake enough to tell that something was going on. “What’s going on?”

“Get up, Janie.” Darcy said, gentle but firm. Jane was never the easiest to deal with when she had just woken up, and now was about to be even harder than usual. “We’re leaving - the car’s all packed up and ready.”

“What?” Jane started to ask, but she was already halfway out the door. Darcy had a hold of one of her hands and was guiding Marie with the other. The little girl’s hair was still in braids like her mama’s, feet shoved into the little Stitch slippers that Jane had bought her a few months earlier. 

“Just get in the car, Janie.”

“Where are we going?” Jane finally asked - an hour into the trip, once she had finally woken up enough to realize what they were actually doing. “Do I at least get to know that?”

Darcy didn’t even turn to look at her scientist. There was only one place that she could really think of where they would be able to disappear completely for as long as they needed to. She didn’t know what was about to go down that had SHIELD wanting to send them to Norway. She wasn’t even one hundred percent convinced that it was SHIELD that was trying to get them to go. There was always a chance that she was just being super paranoid and there were going to be some very upset astrophysicists in Oslo. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. “New York.”

8888

It took them almost two days to go from New Mexico to New York City - it would have taken less time, but Darcy had taken them along as many back roads and alternate routes as she could find, stopping to switch cars twice. Even she could admit that she was being paranoid - but SHIELD had kept them safe from the Guild while they were under its protection. Now they were on the run from both the Guild and the alien chasers. 

Peggy called them twice - both times, Marie cried because she wanted to talk to her grandmother but Darcy just let it go to voicemail. She knew that the older woman would kill her for it later - that was fine. As long as they were far away from everything related to SHIELD right now.

Of course, that plan lasted until they got to the railway station that would take them into the city, and they saw what had become of Manhattan. It was obvious even from the other side of the Hudson that New York was under attack. “What’s going on?” Jane asked, panicking slightly. This wasn’t what she had signed up for in the slightest. She had just wanted the stars, not all of the alien madness that seemed to come along with them.

Darcy hadn’t signed up for any of this, either. Unfortunately, it was just how her life seemed to want to work. “I don’t know, but we need to move.” she said, already pulling both of the other women back towards their car. “Now.” 

“Mama?” Marie sounded terrified - not that Darcy blamed her. If she was talking she was sure that her voice would sound exactly the same. But her daughter was still a baby - barely older than five. When she had been that age, she had started her training to be a thief - running little scams and practicing the School of the Seven Bells. Not running from alien invasions.

“Come here, Marie.” she called out, scooping her daughter into her arms the moment that she was within range. She adjusted her grip as they ran, making sure that there was no possible chance of her daughter slipping out of her grasp. They kept running, Darcy and Jane matching step for step. Whatever was happening in Manhattan hadn’t crossed the river yet, and they weren’t going to stick around and wait for it to do so.

8888 

_Meanwhile, in a mansion in Westchester…_

“Gambit!” Logan burst into the Cajun’s bedroom so quickly, he fell off of the bed in his surprise. Any other time that alone would have been enough to make the feral mutant laugh. This time he didn’t even pause. “Get yer gear and get on the jet, now - we’re asses up in five. Ya can change in the air.”

“What’s goin’ on, Wolvie?” Remy asked, already changing even as he asked the question. That was the sort of tone that you just didn’t argue with. “Scotty didn’t say not’in’. Neither did de Professor.” Judging by the look on his friend’s face, whatever he was about to say was bad - Remy palmed a few extra decks of cards, slipping them into the pockets of his trenchcoat.

"Dunno, Gumbo.” Logan was already in his uniform, his cowl in hand as they started to make their way to the hangar bay. “All I heard is that New York is under attack, an’ they’re callin’ in anyone willing ta help.” Remy paused - he had been about to strip down and change into his uniform, but that changed things. Normally a call for all hands on deck meant a lead on Magneto or things like that - this was nothing like that. This was an attack on a highly populated civilian area. They had no time to lose. So he just grabbed his suit, balling it up as he ran - he could get changed on the flight.

“Hurry up, Wolvie.” he called, a hint of teasing in his voice helping to hide just how worried he was about the situation that they were about to put themselves in the middle of. “Don’t want t’ miss de flight!”

8888

Out of all of the members of the X-Men - both past and present - only a handful of them had been chosen for their current mission. Some had been chosen for combat reasons, and others for search-and-rescue capabilities - but all of them were ready. Jean and Ororo were flying the plane as copilots, with Scott leading the briefing. That left Remy, Logan, Kitty, Warren, Kurt, and a few of the newer ones. The only one of the baby X-Men that Remy recognized was Illyana, and that was only because at one point he had made her run Danger Room simulations for breaking curfew.

It took them about five minutes to get to a cruising altitude and get them all settled in and ready for things. So of course, Wolverine was the first one to ask the question that they were all thinking. “What the hell is goin’ on, Scooter?”

“There’s currently an interdimensional portal overtop of Stark Tower, and its spewing aliens.” the words were delivered in the same steady, even tone that he did every briefing in - it was so normal that it took them all a minute to realize exactly what he had said. But once the news had sunk in properly, the back of the blackbird practically exploded with noise.

Kitty was the one who’s voice could be heard the easiest over all of their noise. “You’ve got to be shitting me.”

“Watch yer language, half-pint.” Logan sniped, almost as a reflex. But even he was shocked, body tense with emotion. He was growling low in his throat, the sound enough to have all of their hair standing on end. 

“Seriously though?” Kitty asked, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Aliens?” 

“ _Mais_ , we’re dealin’ wit’ aliens now, too?” Remy asked, incredulous. It was taking all of his energy to keep from reacting to things any further - he kept drawing his charge into and out of his body to help release some of it. But at the same time, he needed to keep his energy up. From what he could see from the Manhattan skyline, there were a lot of aliens that needed to be fought.

"Apparently." Scott asked, eyes still trained on the hologram map in front of him. "Jean, how long do we have?"

"ETA five minutes, but it’ll take us at least twice that long to find a parking spot."

But Scott was shaking his head, already against that idea and coming up with a new one on the fly. “We don’t have that kind of time. We’re dropping in in five minutes - everyone suit up, or you’re getting left behind." There was a ferocity in his tone that none of them had ever really heard before, but one that the older members of the team definitely appreciated. This wasn’t the normal fight against Magneto and his band - this was the fate of the world at stake.

8888

The X-Men had been dropped over what was quickly becoming Ground Zero almost thirty minutes ago. There was so much going on around then that Gambit had quickly lost sight of his teammates as he was herded in one particular direction by the creatures attacking him. He threw out a handful of cards, taking down three of them at once while he elongated his bo staff with his free hand. A few of them dropped down from their hoverboard devices, and Remy smiled. This was exactly what he had been hoping for when he joined up with the X-Men. None of the strange almost-politics that happened every time the Professor and Magneto were in the same room. Not the constant inner battle about if they were doing the right things or not. This was how he preferred things, if he was being honest - point him at his target, and just let him loose. Just black and white, none of the shades of gray that he had grown up with and learned to maneuver during his time at Xavier's.

Even so, it was all starting to get to him. This was ridiculous, he couldn't help but think as he fought his way down the street. He wasn't even sure which street it was at this point, there was far too much going on around him to focus on any one thing. The sound of laser fire went off around him - one that he was only familiar with thanks to Cable - interspersed with bodies hitting the floor. He still occasionally caught glimpses of his teammates, along with a few other heroes that he only vaguely recognized. Iron Man was iconic, utterly unmistakable in his red-and-gold armor. Other than that, none of them were all that recognizable. He only saw flashes of color from the others, enough to know that they were at his side fighting along with him.

There were aliens coming down from every direction, and he was flinging playing cards at them. They had lazer guns and flying whales and hoverbikes… and he had a deck of fifty-two bicycle playing cards. More than one deck, but still. Sometimes, Remy just needed to stop and take a moment to process just how weird his life really was. 

He had picked the wrong moment to stop and reflect, however. The only warning that he had even gotten was the sound of something whistling past him. He turned around just in time to see a Chitauri get taken down by a large hammer that had flown by, striking it squarely in the face. His hand instinctively moved to his pocket, pulling a few cards out of the deck that he kept there. He pulled them out even as he turned back to face whoever had thrown the hammer in the first place. 

It was a man, nearly half a foot taller than he was and built like something out of the stories that Mattie had told him as a child. Blond hair - so blond that it was almost golden - was elaborately twisted and braided in sections, but still hung loosely around her shoulders. Even with all of the strange costumes that he had seen in his time at Xavier’s, the man’s costume was far more elaborate than almost anything that he had ever seen before.

Still, he nodded his head in silent thanks to the stranger, grateful that he had saved his life. “Thank y', _Monsieur_.” his voice carried over the wreckage that surrounded them all, carrying over to the ridiculously well-built man.

The blond smiled - an expression that changed him from a war dog into an adorable puppy. "You are welcome, my friend." He said gaily, swinging his hammer in his opposite hand with ridiculous amounts of force. He kept his eyes trained on the portal above them, a knowing look on his face as he did so. “My friends will be closing the portal soon.” he said, stating it as it was a fact instead of just hopeful thinking. But to Remy’s surprise, the portal began to shrink almost as soon as the other man had said his piece.

And then it was all over. As soon as the portal closed, all of the Chitauri soldiers fell to the ground like puppets whose strings had been cut. All around him, people were coming out of where they had been hidden throughout the battle, eyes wide with fear and horror at everything that they had seen.

He caught his breath even as his eyes wandered the battlefield, listening to everyone check off in his ear, certifying that they had all made it through in one piece. And as he looked around at the aftermath of the battle, he just hoped that wherever his Darcy was, she was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come chill with me on discord!  
> https://discord.gg/XCYPsYZySd


	19. Chapter 19

SHIELD had finally caught up with them almost two weeks after the Battle of New York - a nickname that had been picked up from newspaper headlines and had quickly stuck. The agents that had found them hadn’t been pleased - especially not after Darcy’s ribbing about how long it took them to figure out where they were. They especially weren't happy with the dressing down that they received from Director Carter herself - who despite having stepped down from her role, still held her title.

Darcy, Jane, and Marie had all been pulled out of New Jersey as quickly as possible, and stuck back into the tiny town of Taos, New Mexico - the closest that they could get to Puente Antigo now that the original had been destroyed. It had taken them a month or so for the new town to get used to them - it only took less time than it had before because Darcy had recognized some people from Puente Antigo who had come one town over after the destruction of their home. They had all been more than welcoming to the crazy women who had disappeared into thin air, only to reappear weeks later. 

Darcy had been working for Jane for over a year, now - a fact that they only realized when a reminder popped up on Darcy's phone. Marie had turned five, and was getting closer to six with every passing day. Her baby was growing up right before her eyes.

8888

“Mama!” Marie called out, her braids flying out behind her as she ran into the lab space. A large stack of mail was clutched in her little arms as she moved, taking the stairs two at a time and nearly giving her mother a heart attack on two different counts. “De mail's here.”

“ _Merci_ , Marie.” Darcy said, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead as she traded the stack of mail for something that she knew her daughter would find more interesting - a juice box and a container of chalk. “Go play, baby.” she urged, and Marie nearly squealed with joy as she raced out of the lab. “Janie!” she called out, not even taking an extra second to look at the corner of the lab where the astrophysicist had curled up for a nap. “You've got a package!”

"Can you check out what it is?" Jane asked, her voice quiet and slightly muffled. Darcy turned to look at her - her head was buried in her arms, buried in a hoodie that was at least twice her size and that genuinely dwarfed her body. Still, Darcy just smiled - it had taken her awhile, but she had finally gotten Jane's body to the point where it recognized when she needed sleep. Even if her brain kept telling her that she could keep going after the scientific discovery that she was currently working on, her body would begin to shut down to get the sleep that she needed.

So Darcy just smiled, shaking her head softly even as she started to open the first package that might have had something worth looking at in it. "Yeah, I got you." She said - she had already sorted through most of the mail pile, putting aside all of the actual science-related things for Jane to go through later. The package that she was currently opening turned out to be a sleek laptop - the logo on the back revealed it to be from Stark Industries. "Well hello there," Darcy mused, once she opened the laptop to find a Post-It note stuck to the power button. 

All the note said was _hello._ She read the message aloud, not expecting the response that she got.

" _Hello, Miss_." She almost jumped at the voice that came from the speakers - it was cultured and even, with an upper class British accent similar enough to Peggy’s that it made her nostalgic for the time that she spent living with the other woman. Still, she regarded the speaker with no small amount of skepticism.

“Who are you?” Darcy asked, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the laptop. Every nerve in her body was on fire, telling her to be careful about how she went about this. But at the same time, this was not something that she was too sure about.

“ _I am JARVIS, Mr. Stark's personal assistant_.” the voice said. With every sound that the voice made, a blue light pulstated on the screen, like some sort of a strange light show. 

“I thought that was Pepper Potts.”

Despite the almost robotic edge to the voice, it still sounded almost proud the next time that it spoke. “Ms. Potts has been promoted, she is now head of Stark Industries.” it - he, she mentally corrected - said fondly.

“Congratulations to her.” she said, not even a little surprised. The woman had been running Stark’s company for him for years anyway, this was just the recognition that she deserved for putting up with the man himself for so long.

“ _Your happiness has been noted_.” JARVIS told her, and she smiled. Despite how official his wording was, there was more than a hint of fondness in his voice for the woman. “I have come to you with an offer from the desk of Tony Stark himself. It involves employment for Dr. Jane Foster, as well as yourself, Miss Lewis.” the voice continued. She was starting to get a little freaked out - she had never had a job offer from a faceless voice before.

“I never told you my name.” she pointed out, taking a step back from the laptop.

The answer was as ominous as it was expected. “You didn't need to.”

“Mama?” Marie asked, stopping as she ran into the doorway. She tilted her head slightly to one side, staring at her mother as she took in the stricken look on her mother’s face. That was a sign that she didn’t like, the unease on her mother’s face. “What's dat?"

" _Hello there, young mistress_." The voice said. “ _Who might you be?_ ”

“M' name's Marie.” the young girl said, introducing herself. She took a few steps forward, then a few more when her mother didn’t warn her away. “Who are you?”

“ _I am JARVIS_.” the voice coming through the speakers was kind, and friendly in a way. There was no face on the screen, but she liked the voice anyway. In the wise opinion of a five-year-old, she thought he was sweet.

She propped her chin up on the countertop, smiling at the exasperation in her mama’s eyes. “I like y'r name, Mister JARVIS.” she said.

“ _Thank you._ ” the voice said, sounding almost flattered. “ _Miss Lewis, if you wouldn't mind giving your mother and I a minute to finish our discussion._ ”

Marie looked hurt for a second, but quickly perked up again. “Okay!” she said, braids flying as she nodded her head, smiling at the thought of a new friend. “But we can talk after dat, _oui_? I want y' t' meet my other _amis._ ”

“ _Your friends?_ ” Darcy couldn’t help but giggle a little at the pure confusion from the man on the other end of the phone line. Mr. Jarvis might have worked for Tony Stark, but even he had never seen anything on the level of her Marie Etienne. And so Darcy just watched as her daughter charmed yet another unsuspecting person into being wrapped around her finger.

Marie nodded, swaying in place slightly as she continued to talk. “ _Oui_ , JARVIS.” she said, sounding excited. “ _Mais,_ Y' do want t'be my friend?”

It was the pure trust that her daughter had already placed in the man that had Darcy relaxing. Marie had the best instincts out of anyone that Darcy had ever met, even at five years old. “ _I would be honored to be your friend, Miss Lewis._ ” 

“Marie, why don’t you go play?” Darcy asked, sending her daughter a look. Marie huffed - making her mother have to work to hide her laughter. Her daughter had a feisty side to her, one that she was more than willing to encourage. But right now that was coming to bite her.

Marie shook her head, brow furrowed as she glared at her mother. “I want t’stay in here, mama.”

But Darcy shook her head, shooting her daughter a look. “Nope. The grown-ups need to talk.” she said, pushing her daughter gently towards the door. “Go play.” Marie huffed, stomping her feet as she headed for the door. 

There was a moment of silence, and then the voice spoke again. “That was your daughter, Ms. Lewis?” 

“Yes.” Darcy said, caution in her tone. She was getting flashbacks to the time before Jane, when getting anything done in college was doubly difficult because she did it all with a toddler in her arms. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not at all.” Mr. Jarvis said quickly, reassuring her. “I will just need to inform Mr. Stark and Ms Potts that she will be staying in the Tower with yourself and Dr. Foster.”

“Awesome!” Darcy cheered, relieved. That was one less thing that she needed to worry about - now she just had to figure out how to get Jane on the same page.

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Once Stark came calling, things changed quickly for them all. The engineer had blown into their lives, offering funding and housing in Avengers Tower with the rest of the team that had been put together after the Battle of New York. He hadn't even hesitated to bring Darcy with Jane, saying that the woman who tased Thor was always welcome at his home. Marie had thrown him for a loop at first, but he had been more than welcoming once he was assured that Marie was potty-trained and knew better than to play with things in the lab.

She had offered to pay rent and things to show her appreciation, but Mr. Stark - call me Tony, I insist, Mr. Stark was my father - had declined. Marie had made him drawings instead - they all pretended not to notice how said drawings quickly found themselves in pride of place in the lab. After that, if Marie wasn't with Darcy, Jane, or Thor - when he was at the Tower instead of on Asgard - she was almost always with Tony.

Of course, they didn’t actually meet the infamous Tony Stark until the day that they moved into Avengers Tower. All contact went through Pepper Potts, and the man named Jarvis. She wasn’t quite sure who he was until after they had moved in, but he seemed pleasant enough.

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"Thank you so much for this opportunity, Dr. Stark." Jane said, for once actually being sincere. Darcy was proud of herself - she had gotten Jane to shower, brush her hair, and put on something other than flannel for once. It was their first day at Stark Tower - all of Jane’s equipment had been sent up the week earlier, and now all that was left was for the three of them to actually move into the building. Pepper Potts herself had been the one to show them around the building, dropping them off in front of Tony Stark’s lab only a few minutes earlier. Then the man himself had come out, quickly coming over to talk with Jane.

Tony smiled, full of charm. “Of course - we've got the best toys to play with.” he said modestly, and Darcy laughed even as she looked him over with a concerned eye. The engineer looked like he hadn’t slept in at least a month, and like it had been at least three days since he had eaten. He was covered in grease and a few burn marks, and his shirt had been torn in at least three places.

Then he turned to look at Darcy, and his eyes narrowed as he studied her.

"I know you from somewhere -" he mused, moving closer to the brunette. If he had been fully in charge of his mind - running on anything other than just coffee - he would have recognized her immediately. Unfortunately, the man hadn't slept in at least five days. Then he saw Marie - hiding behind her mother's leg - and his eyes lit up with recognition. There was a small flicker of surprise on his face, but that quickly turned into a bright smile as he figured it out. "Aunt Peggy's house - she's got pictures of the two of you."

That surprised Darcy more than almost anything else. Not that Peggy had pictures of them - she made sure to send the older woman as many pictures of Marie as she could. But it was slightly surprising that Tony Stark had seen the pictures. Still, it made sense - the friendship between Peggy Carter and Howard Stark was almost as legendary as the one between Tony Stark and Colonel Rhodes. "You're her Anthony?" She asked. She was already inclined to like the man, but that made her like him even more. Peggy had told her so many stories about her nephew Anthony that she felt like she knew him already.

Still, Tony looked at least a little bit suspicious. "How do you know Aunt Peggy?" he asked as they all made their way into the elevators, heading towards the Avengers communal floors.

"She helped us out once - sweetest lady." She said, smiling at him. Then added, "Mean right hook."

A rare sincere smile broke out on the engineer's face - one that had never been seen on any magazine cover and that made him look at least ten years younger. "You and I have a lot to talk about, shortstack." he decided, giving her a significant look even as Jane looked between the pair in confusion. Darcy was excited - she enjoyed hearing stories about Peggy Carter and everything that she had done, but the other woman hated talking about herself. She had a feeling that Tony had more than his fair share of stories.

But by that point Marie had been distracted by the sight of a familiar figure, earning herself the attention of the other Avengers when she raced across the room toward him. " _Oncle_ Thor!"

The others tensed at the sound of an unfamiliar voice even as the Asgardian lit up. The Avengers watched as a tiny blur raced up to them, attaching itself to the blond's legs. It was a child - pudgy baby fat and dimples, with long auburn hair that was pulled back into pigtails. She couldn't have been more than five years old, and it was obvious that she had the Asgardian wrapped around her little finger.

“Lady Marie!" The god boomed, a smile practically splitting his face in half as he picked her up, balancing her on his shoulders. She squealed with delight, fisting handfuls of his hair to keep herself in place. He pretended to fall, dropping her from his shoulders so that she landed in his arms, held tightly against his chest so that she wouldn’t fall.

"How do you fair, tiny maiden?" The Asgardian asked, laughing right along with her at his antics.

The Avengers looked surprised at the interaction between the Asgardian prince and the little girl. She was practically bouncing in his arms, braids flying as she giggled excitedly. Her little boots kicked out as she squirmed in his arms.

"We're gonna live here now, _Oncle Thor_!" Marie cheered. She had been excited for this ever since she had first found out that they were moving to New York City - bouncing around the lab space for the last week and a half. She had always been a fan of Iron Man, and she had quickly become a fan of the other heroes once the Battle of New York happened. Thor living with them was just the icing on the cake. "An' I'm gonna have my own room, an' we're gonna go to de park, an' help _Tante_ Jane in de lab, an' -" she was babbling excitedly, Thor's full attention on her every word.

"Indeed, tiny maiden." Thor replied, nodding seriously at what she was saying. "Your mother and my Lady Jane informed me of your coming, and I am most pleased that you have arrived safely.". 

"You sound funny, _Oncle_ Thor." Marie giggled - then Natasha moved, and Marie turned, distracted by the flash of red hair that she saw. Anything red always drew her attention - Darcy wasn’t sure if it was because it was such a bright color, or if it had to do with all of the stories that she had heard about her father and his powers. "Who are dey?"

"My friends," the thunder god boomed, turning his attention back to the other Avengers. He lifted Marie just a little bit higher into the air, making her giggle even as she grabbed at his arm to keep herself steady. "This is Marie, daughter of the Lady Darcy and guardian of the Pop-Tarts." He said, making the introduction as grand as possible just to watch the little girl smile. "Marie, these are the guardians of this realm, my sword-brothers Steven, Tony, Bruce, and Clint. Along with my shield-sister Natasha." He finished, pointing to each one as he said their name.

"H'lo." She said shyly, looking at them all with eager curiosity. Little dimples formed in her cheeks as she smiled at them, her t-shirt proudly proclaiming her a ‘super-hero in training’. But red eyes stared at them, shining scarlet and startling them. Particularly Steve, who couldn’t stop staring - she had red eyes, like a demon. Steve stumbled back a step, too shocked to think about what he was doing. He had never seen anything like it before, not even with everything that he had seen since becoming Captain America. 

“It’s okay, Mister Steve.” the little girl said, and he realized that she saw him flinch. A smile that was too sad crossed her face as she looked at him. “I won’t hurt y’.” her voice was accented - southern, but a hint lighter.

Instantly he felt terrible. Thor was giving him a disapproving look, as was Clint. He hadn't known any of his fellow Avengers that long yet - it had only been a few months since the battle that had brought them all together - but he could already tell that upsetting this little girl would make them all dislike him. 

Luckily, someone came up and distracted them all.

"Making friends, monkey?” One of the women asked, coming over to their group. From the security briefing they had received, he assumed it had to be Dr. Foster's assistant, Miss Lewis. And judging by her bone structure, Miss Lewis also looked to be the girl's mother. They shared the same nose and chin, and despite the obvious difference in eye color their eye shape was the same as well. But the woman had pale blue eyes instead of fiery red ones, and loose brown waves of hair - with a single blonde streak in front that had been tucked behind her ear.

"Yes mama." The girl said, but her voice was far quieter than anything else the Avengers had heard out of her so far. "I t’ink i scared M. Steve."

"I'm sure you didn’t, monkey.” the woman reassured, taking her daughter from the Asgardian holding her. The little girl curled her face into her mother’s neck, one hand wrapping around a lock of hair. She turned to face the super-soldier, resting her daughter on her hip as she did so, arching an eyebrow imperiously. The warning look on her face made him blanche. “Isn’t that right, Captain?”

Steve Rogers had faced down many things during his time on Earth. He had gone up against bullies from Brooklyn, Hitler and the Third Reich, and the combined anger of Sarah Rogers and Winnifred Barnes. Nothing scared him. But this tiny brunette - who looked at him as if to say that she would personally murder him if he hurt her child in any way - scared him just enough to be wary.

So he did the only thing that he could think of. He stood in parade rest, hands clasped together behind his back as he shook his head. "Of course not." He agreed, flashing a smile that was nowhere near as sincere as he made it look.

The woman nodded, a faint smile on her lips as she turned to look at Tony. “Oh, Mr. Stark?” she asked, a question coming to mind as she soothed her daughter.

The engineer was glaring at the captain as well, but pulled his attention back to Darcy. “Call me Tony, kid, I told you that.”

"Alright then, Tony.” she relented. “Where’s Mr. Jarvis? I wanted to thank him for all his help.”

Her answer came from an unlikely party. “ _I am right here, Miss Lewis._ ” JARVIS’s voice echoed through invisible speakers that had been strategically placed around the house. “ _It’s a pleasure to finally meet you._ ”

“What?”

“Yeah, that’s my bad.” Tony said, shrugging apologetically. He had just realized that Darcy was expecting JARVIS to be a human. “J is an AI - he keeps everything running around here.”

“Oh.” She was a little bit surprised, but when she thought about it it made sense. There had been times when the AI had gotten things done far quicker than any human could have - he had had a third plane ticket ready in seconds after he learned about Marie, then canceled them all just as quickly when she told him about her fears regarding airports. So while Tony was slightly nervous about her reaction to the AI - just like he always was when he introduced someone new to JARVIS - Darcy just rolled with it. “Well then - thanks for the help with everything, Mr. Jarvis. It made getting Janie here a lot easier.”

“ _Of course, Miss Lewis._ ” the AI replied, sounding pleased with the praise. “ _And please, just call me JARVIS._ ”

Marie pulled on Darcy’s collar, interrupting them before anything else could be said. "Mama, do I get t’ see my room now?"

Darcy felt a lump grow in her throat. Marie’s question was innocent, but it brought back unwanted memories. There had been so many times over the years that she had been lucky just to keep a roof over their heads - Marie had never had a room of her own before. And while she was proud of herself for keeping her daughter safe in a world that hated her just for existing, there were times when she couldn’t help but want to give her daughter more than what she had. But that was all in the past now.

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Darcy and Jane followed Tony up to the floor that they would be sharing with Thor, Marie still clinging tightly to her mother’s side. Jane and Thor would be sharing one apartment on one side of the floor, and the Lewis women had their own apartment on the other side of the floor. Tony dropped Jane off at her apartment so that Thor could give her the grand tour, then took Darcy and Marie across the hall to show them the apartment that they would be living in.

Darcy was in awe - the place was gorgeous, and so much more than she expected. But Marie was particularly entranced, especially once she saw her bedroom. That was enough to have the five-year-old shrieking in glee, and her mother racing into the room to figure out what had her daughter screaming like that.

"Mama, _regarde_ " the little girl shrieked, bouncing around excitedly as she tried to take in very last detail. " _Mais_ , look at m’room!” It was decked out in every single way, the perfect little girl’s room. There was a stack of toys in the corner, all different sorts. A bookshelf took up most of one wall, and the walls were painted a pale green color. A twin bed sat in the middle of the room with a four-poster bed-frame, and a collection of stuffed animals in the middle of the bed.

“ _Quoi_ …” Darcy whispered, looking around herself in awe. It was gorgeous, perfect for her little girl. “How did you…”

Tony had a small smile on his face as she looked around everything, taking in the room. “Pepper set it up.” 

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Steve tried to ignore it, thinking that maybe it was one of those 21st century things. But eventually he realized that no one else had eyes like Marie’s. No one that he saw on the street did - although he wasn’t sure he liked the way that so many people seemed to want to hide their faces in this century. Even among the superheroes that he associated with as Captain America, none of them had eyes that were as red as hellfire like she did. He saw ice blue, white lenses, and radioactive green - but no hellfire red.

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They had been living at Stark Tower for months before Steve approached Darcy about it. In that time, the Lewis women had found their niche in the Tower - Darcy had found her place taking care of all of the scientists instead of just Jane, and Marie had quickly become the unofficial mascot of the Stark Industries R&D division. She spent most of her time under her mother’s feet, running around the private labs of Jane, Bruce, and Tony.

But little things found their way around the Tower - fresh herbs grew everywhere in the Lewis apartment, and Darcy cooked food from her childhood at least once a week. At one point, Darcy and Marie disappeared for an afternoon and came back to the Tower laden down with bags full of sweet-smelling herbs. After that, they disappeared into their apartment for a few days, only coming back out after the weekend was over. After that, Darcy always had some sort of concotion on hand - several different ones, judging by the different smells that they all had. And while most of the Avengers hadn’t noticed it, Clint couldn’t help but clock the sheer amount of blue that Darcy wore.

Tony in particular was extremely fond of Marie. Peggy had been telling him stories about the little girl since the women had stumbled into her life, and Tony was more than willing to encourage the little girl’s desire to get into trouble. He liked having someone to teach about how the world worked - and Marie liked the sheer amount of explosions that they caused. Much to both Darcy and Pepper’s dismay, the pair had been photographed out around New York City, causing endless questions about Marie’s identity. An entire twitter account had been devoted to pictures of the pair of them - and while it helped the Avengers’ public image immensely, it did have the side effect of making all of the Avengers and their support staff incredibly protective of the five-year-old. To the point where Marie rarely left the Tower without at least one Avenger as a babysitter - partially for protection, and partially because they all just liked spending time with her. Her innocent outlook on life made it just a little bit easier for them to do their jobs.

It was after an incident with a group calling themselves the Friends of Humanity that Steve had finally found the courage to ask Darcy about Marie. The group wasn’t a fan of the Avengers in general, but were especially vocal anytime they saw the five-year-old out with them. That in particular made him curious - he didn’t like bullies in general, but especially wasn’t fond of bullies who went after children. The 21st century was full of far too many ways for bullies to make their voices heard, he had found.

"What happened to her?” Steve asked Darcy one day, keeping his voice down so that Marie wouldn’t hear him. Of course, he didn’t have to do that - she and Tony were playing with Dum-E, making so much noise that they wouldn’t have heard an alarm going off. An entire army could have attacked the Tower in that moment, and neither one of them would have noticed a thing.

Darcy put her pen down, tucking it behind her ear with the streak of blonde. “What do you mean?” she asked, looking at him carefully. Her voice was carefully even - she wanted to find out what exactly the man meant before deciding if she needed to murder a national icon or not.

“Her eyes - what happened to them?” Steve asked, flushing awkwardly. He hadn’t wanted to ask, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him in the end. He had researched it as much as he could, but the best that his limited computer skills had come up with was allergies. That certainly wasn’t the cause of the hellish color of the little girl’s eyes.

She looked confused, but answered him anyway. “Nothing happened to them - she was born with them. Makes things a bit tricky at times, but hopefully whatever her primary ends up being will help her.”

He looked at her in confusion for a moment before she realized that he had absolutely no idea what she meant. “Steve…” she said slowly, looking up at him, “has anyone explained to you what a mutant is?” She wasn’t as surprised as she probably should have been - while mutants had been around for centuries, they had done extremely well at staying hidden until around the nineteen-sixties, when they had first come onto the global scene with a bit of a bang.

Steve shook his head, looking more than a little bit confused. But Darcy just smiled, moving over a bit in her seat and motioning for him to sit down next to her. “Come sit with me, Steve. Let’s chat.” and slowly, Steve Rogers was caught up on modern times, starting off with an in-depth explanation on mutants and the fight for their lives.


	20. Chapter 20

It had taken them all a bit to get used to an enthusiastic five-year-old running after them all the time, but they quickly adjusted. Thor, of course, was ecstatic. Marie had him wrapped around her little finger, and the little girl knew it. Thor was excited to learn all about Midgardian culture, and Marie seemed to be his favorite guide. Of course, Darcy wasn't too pleased with the arrangement - she was more than a little worried that someone would come after her daughter for her connection to the Avengers, no matter how small it was. But she also knew that her daughter's honorary uncle wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Tony was just as bad, and Clint was only a little better. Tony had taken her to FAO Schwartz one day, and the pair of them had come home with a five-foot long stuffed dog that was three times the size of Marie. The lecture that the pair of them got from Darcy was only second place to the lecture that the stunt earned Tony from Pepper.

Clint had a far less extreme way of showing his affection - first he had explained Coulson's reaction to Marie and why they had scared her so much when they had come to talk to Darcy at the grocery store in Puente Antigo. After that, he sat Darcy down and the pair of them figured out some plans to keep Marie safe in case something were to ever happen.

Every one of them asked about Marie’s father at one point or another. Especially Steve, who didn't understand why a father would leave the mother of their child behind. In his day, things like that were unheard of unless the father was in jail, and even then things were hushed up. But when asked, Darcy would just give a tight-lipped smile and say that the father wasn't in the picture. She never said anything beyond that, no matter how hard they pressed her.

Tony had tried to dig - had looked into Marie’s birth certificate, where there was no father listed. Had tried looking into her past, but Aunt Peggy had it all locked up tightly. No matter what he tried, he couldn’t find any information on the man. It infuriated him to no end - Tony liked to know everything at all times. But he understood her reasoning for it all the same, so he didn't look too hard. If he had really wanted to, there was absolutely nothing that was keeping him from finding the man. But even he could figure out that there was a reason that she was keeping the information to herself. So eventually - two weeks after he moved the three women into the Tower - he let the matter go.

She kept the scientists in one piece, and Marie was the light and joy of most of their days. But it was after an Avengers mission gone wrong that what Darcy could really do was revealed. Natasha had gotten hit hard with a laser blast, badly enough that the people in medical weren’t sure if she was going to make it - the blast had gone into her stomach, and she was slowly bleeding out. They had done the best they could for her, they said.

Darcy wasn't willing to take that for an answer, but there wasn't anything that she could do unless she was ready to reveal herself and her abilities to everyone. Unfortunately, Marie wasn't willing to take no for an answer - she was as stubborn as both of her parents, and wasn't afraid to use every tool possible to get what she wanted. She had started out whispering in her mother's ear, knowing the rules about secrecy. But as she got more frustrated her voice got louder until she was practically shouting.

“Mama, y’ have to help Aunt Natasha!” the little girl pleaded, looking up at her mother with tear-filled eyes. She didn't fully understand what was going on, only that her aunt had been hurt and the doctors couldn't do anything. Now they were all gathered around Natasha's hospital bed, waiting to see how things would turn out.

“ _Non_ , Marie.” her denial came with the force of a person who had spent most of her life being treasured and chased after for her abilities - adored one moment and feared the next. She had been safe around the Guild, but outsiders would still react however they wanted. And as much as she trusted her new chosen family, she was still a little nervous about what their reactions would be. 

Marie glared at her mother, her little brow furrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. "But Mama, y' can save her!" The little girl protested. She didn't see why her mother hadn't done anything yet - some of her earliest memories were watching her mother heal people in back alleys and parking lots.

But Clint turned to look at the pair, eyes narrowed slightly as he took them in. "What's she talking about?" He asked, voice tinged with suspicion. He was desperate - Natasha was his best friend, and he didn’t know what he would do without her.

“Mama glows and it helps people!” Marie said, pulling Darcy over to the redheaded woman. 

Steve’s face contorted in confusion as he processed the little girl’s words. “She glows?” he repeated, cocking an eyebrow. 

"It's my mutation.” She confirmed, taking a step forward. It took just a second to hand Marie off to Steve and then she made a beeline towards Natasha.

The scientists all started talking over each other, each giving their opinions on everything, but it was Bruce who gave the final call. "It can’t hurt to try it." He said, looking hopeful.

Darcy moved forward, pulling the blankets down and rearranging her hospital gown so that she had easy access to the wound itself. She lifted the gauze padding that the doctors had put into place, taking a closer look at the wound in her friend’s side. She winced at the severity of it - she could see the flash of white that indicated it went down to her bone - but rolled up her sleeves just the same. The doctors had been right - without outside interference, it was an injury that had a high likelihood of leaving her with a permanent disfigurement, if not with some sort of limp or permanent injury. But she had taken care of worse in her lifetime. “Monkey, go to the hoodoo cabinet an’ figure out what we’ll need extra of. Let y'r _tante_ know what we're low on an' she'll make a list.” she ordered, and Marie nodded, squirming out of Steve's arms and grabbing Jane by the hand. 

“Come on _Tante_.” Darcy heard her daughter say as the pair hurried out of the room. “You can help me."

With that done, Darcy turned her attention to Tony. “There’s a little shop on 42nd street.” she told him as she washed her hands, her movements as precise as any surgeon. “Can you get me whatever I need from there?” she asked, and the man just nodded, his mouth set in a grim line.

“Whatever you need, shortstack.” he promised, and she flashed him a halfhearted grin. 

She sighed slightly, turning her attention back to Natasha. There was no more putting off what she had to do - it had been a long time since she used her powers, but she could feel them fighting to break free, wanting to help her friend just as much as she did. “Someone needs to be prepared to catch me.” she warned, and then took a deep breath. Her eyes began to glow their unearthly golden color as she carefully stuck the fingers of one hand inside of the wound, running her fingertips along torn and shredded muscle and quickly repairing it. She wasn’t worried about any possible infection - she had healed injuries in far worse conditions than the sterile medical labs of Stark Tower. And on the slim chance that there was any infection, she could fix that up with the herbs that Marie was bringing them. Her daughter was still so young, but knew all of the plants that her mother used by name, and could be trusted to get what she was asked to.

She pulled her fingertips out slowly, moving one layer at a time as she repaired muscle and bone, reconnected nerves and blood vessels. This was a slow job, one that would take plenty of time to fix properly. But that was fine with her. Still, she couldn't help but be a little amused by the looks on her friends' faces at the blood. She was more than used to it - and she would have thought that they would be to, as the self-proclaimed 'Earth's Mightiest Heroes'. But they all looked so squeamish at the sight that it almost made her laugh.

"I've got a list of things you need to stock up on, and Marie insisted that we bring you certain things." Jane said, Marie's hand clutched in her own. The little girl was clutching an old linen bag in one arm - the same one that Darcy had had since she had first started learning about healing from Mattie Baptiste, so many years ago.

“ _Merci_ , monkey.”

8888

"Tell de story, mama.” Marie chirped from her place curled up next to Natasha. It had taken a week for Natasha to get to the point that she was at, and Darcy was relieved that the redhead was steadily improving. "De one dat makes people get better.". That caught Natasha's attention - she was almost positive that a story didn't actually have the power to make people feel better. But it was still cute that the little girl thought that it did.

But Darcy shook her head, pulling something else out of a jar and adding it to the bowl in front of her. "Natasha won’t want to hear that story, Marie."

“What is it?” the redhead asked, wincing slightly as she shifted on the couch. She sat up slowly, favoring one side of her body as she did so - even with all of Darcy’s abilities, a wound that was that deep needed time to heal on its own.

Darcy looked up from her herbs, studying the other woman for a minute and noting the sincere curiosity in her eyes. “An old story, one that ta- that my aunt used to tell me.” she admitted, mixing together the last of the herbs in her bowl. She split the concoction in two, handing one bowl to Marie and keeping one for herself. The pair joined Natasha on the couch, moving gently enough to keep from jostling her.

Once they were all sitting comfortably, Darcy began the story - one that Marie had heard a hundred times before. It was one of her favorites, which was why it was told so often - by now, her daughter knew the story word for word.

"Once upon a time in New Orleans, there were two halves of a whole - _le diable blanc_ and _l’ange noir_." She began, her voice low and soothing as she applied the different tinctures and salves to Natasha's skin. The redhead hissed at the unfamiliar feeling, shifting slightly as Darcy’s fingertips dabbed at her skin. A hint of a Cajun accent began to show as she kept talking, beginning her story. "The black angel and the white devil. Dey were destined to save N'awlins, and the Guilds that lived there…"

8888

It only took another three days after that for Natasha to be on her feet again, ready to train again with her teammates. Steve was more than a little nervous about letting her back out in the field already, but the Black Widow quickly put all of his fears to rest by soundly kicking his ass.

“Lewis!”

The urgency in his tone had her moving quickly - but nothing was on fire or becoming sentient, so she relaxed. “What, Stark?” she asked, casting a quick glance over at her daughter. She was occupied on the other side of the lab, happily playing with U and Dum-E. Good. That meant that whatever Tony was about to try and cook up, the chances of her daughter getting pulled into the middle of it were slim to none.

“How has your little ability never come up before?”

Darcy just shrugged, turning her attention back to the files in front of her. If all of the paperwork that she was working on wasn’t finished by that afternoon, Pepper wouldn’t be able to use any of the scientists’ new work at the next shareholders meeting. And she loved Pepper too much to make her go through anything like that. “I assumed that Peg had told you.”

“Definitely not.” Tony laughed, shaking his head. Marie heard his voice, perking up the second that she saw him approach. She ran over, leaving behind two incredibly dejected AI bots. “I’m pretty sure I would remember Aunt Peggy telling me something like that. Either way, I have a proposition for you.”

“Right…” Darcy said slowly, studying the man in front of her. Tony was practically bouncing in place, looking incredibly pleased with himself for whatever it was that he had come up with. “Marie, why don’t you go play with Dum-E some more?” she said, not taking her eyes off of the engineer. Whatever he was about to say was definitely something that she wanted to hear.

But Marie looked up at her, a pout already forming on her face. “But I want to hear, Mama.” she said, shooting her uncle a desperate look. It was one that he had never been able to say no to before, and she didn’t think that he would be able to say no to it now.

Of course, Darcy knew that as well. So she didn’t even give the man a chance to respond to his niece, nudging her daughter in the direction that she was supposed to be heading before she could say a word. “Marie…” she said softly - that was all it took to warn her daughter not to push things any further.

“Fine.” Marie huffed - even at five, the girl knew better than to argue with her mother. So she headed back to the other side of the lab, sulking even as she went to play with the robots again. Darcy almost winced when she saw what they were up to - something involving a ridiculous amount of yarn and Dum-E’s pincer arm.

As soon as her daughter was out of hearing range, Darcy turned back to her boss. “What’s up, Tony?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest the second she saw the look on the inventor’s face. He was nervous about whatever it was he was about to say to her - and that in itself was enough to make her nervous as well. Still, she tried to settle her nerves, turning back to the paperwork that she had been working on before her had approached.

“What would I get if I mixed willow bark, aloe, turmeric, cat’s claw, and green tea?”

She turned around so quickly that she nearly gave herself whiplash, hitting herself in the face with her hair. “Did you take all of that?”

“No. Why?”

“Because that reactor carved out half of your heart and your lungs.” she said, looking him over carefully. Most of the signs weren’t visible ones, but his skin still looked healthy and he wasn’t breaking out into sweat at all. So she relaxed - while she didn’t trust Tony to have not taken it just for science, the odds of him taking the mixture of herbs that he had named were slim. “Add the cat’s claw into your body and your blood pressure would plummet even lower than it already is, and you would die.”

“Fair point.” he conceded, nodding thoughtfully. “Okay, what if I’m having trouble sleeping?” he continued.

Darcy sighed. “Tony, I’m not a pharmacist.” she reminded him, finally putting down the paperwork. She had acted as one for years - mixing herbs and tinctures and giving them to those who needed them. But Tony had years worth of medical issues - both from years of substance abuse and the damage that he had put his body through during his time as a super hero.

“Just humor me.”

It barely took her a second to come up with the answer. “Chamomile root.” she said, barely hesitating. “Turned into a tea for the best results. And once that was no longer effective, vervain - but only in small, carefully measured dosages.” she hesitated before saying the last one - it was the most effective, but she was almost afraid to give Tony the idea in case he accidentally killed himself. “Belladonna would work as well, but you can’t self-prescribe that one.”

“Huh.” Tony replied, looking almost impressed. “J?”

The AI’s voice came out of the invisible speakers that Tony had hidden all around the Tower. “All of Miss Lewis’s information is correct.” Tony seemed almost impressed, and she inwardly cursed. She was almost afraid to know about what the inventor was planning. Still, it wasn’t like things would go smoother if she didn’t know, so there was really no reason to not ask.

“Are you going to tell me what this is about, Tony?”

“In a minute, Tangled.” he replied, snark equal to hers. “How much can that ‘flower gleam and glow’ of yours actually fix?” she almost laughed at that one - it was obvious that he had seen Marie’s favorite movie one too many times.

“I can’t regrow limbs or bring people back to life.” she said, shrugging gently. “But other than that there’s not really a limit other than how much energy I have. Now can you please explain why you’re asking?” she fixed him with a hard stare - one that had worked on her daughter and Thieves alike.

Tony shrugged. “You saved Natashalie’s life, shortstack.” he said simply. “I have an entire team of highly trained medical doctors that said that if the wound itself didn’t kill her, then the infection would.”

She couldn’t help the pang in her chest as she thought about the idea of Nat dying. Still, she calmed herself down by reminding herself that the other woman was fine. “They probably know what they’re talking about, Tony.” she said, keeping her voice low. “They literally spent almost a decade learning this stuff.”

“Right.” Tony nodded. “But you were the one to save her.”

“So what are you saying?” she asked, only to yelp when Tony grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her along behind him. He dragged her out of the lab, ignoring her protests as he did. Still, he didn’t take her far - they only went three or four doors down in the end. Tony shoved her through the door, following behind her.

“I’m saying - here.”

Darcy looked around her, shocked and a little puzzled. “What is this, Stark?”

Tony grinned. “That is a state-of-the-art workspace for you to do any and all work that you have in mind with your... whatever it is that you do, I’m still not clear on the details but Bruce and I have a lot of questions.” he was looking at her smugly, a proud look on his face as he watched her take in all of the equipment surrounding them. And while Tony didn’t know why, Darcy was reeling - it was almost like a higher-tech version of the shop that she had spent so many years in.

She was speechless for a minute, her eyes welling up slightly. Despite the high-tech look of things, there were still so many of the items that she knew so well - dried herbs and flowers hung in rows on the wall, racks of jars lined a system of shelves. “What do you want in return?” she asked, turning to look at the engineer.

“To ask you endless questions.” he answered promptly, making her laugh. “And, if you’re willing, to give you an extra job as the equivalent of emergency medical services.”

That was nothing, she mused. Barely anything at all - if anything, it would be nice to be able to use her skills again. “Done.” she agreed.

8888

Slowly, she started to lower her guard around the Avengers, but it was the scientists who inadvertently learned more than the others one night when Marie refused to go to bed. The little girl was already in her pyjamas and had been for at least three hours, curled up on one corner of the couch in Jane’s lab as she watched her mother work with her uncles and aunt. But Darcy was beginning to get irritated - she still had to get the scientists to go to sleep at some point, which would only be that much harder to do if her daughter was still awake. 

The five-year-old was fighting her mother as hard as she could on it, of course. She had been almost as excited as her aunt was at the prospect of creating an Einstein-Rosen bridge in the lab, and was determined to be there and awake when she made it happen.

“I’m almost six, Mama.” the little girl argued, her arms crossed over her chest in a motion that all of the scientists recognized as one that her mother made frequently. “ _Mais_ that means I can stay up later, _oui_?”

“No Marie - that isn’t how that works.” Darcy said, trying to hide the smile on her face as her daughter tried to negotiate. She wasn’t sure who Marie had learned the skill from - her bet was either Pepper or Belle. “You go to bed when I tell you.”

“But mama…”

“You gotta make do-do, Marie.” she said, hands on her hips as she scolded her daughter. “Otherwise you don’t get to go to the park tomorrow with _Oncle_ Thor.” she scooped up the little girl even as she said that, settling her securely in her arms with her head tucked under her mother’s chin. She was getting too big to be held that way, but neither mother nor daughter was willing to let go of it just yet.

“Make do-do?” Tony interrupted, looking equal parts confused and horrified. He actually put down what he was working on to stare at the mother-daughter duo. “Is this one of those potty-training things, because I thought that was finished.” he asked, staring accusingly at her.

But Darcy just rolled her eyes, not stopping the slow swaying motions around the room that she was doing - the trick had worked to send Marie to sleep since she was a baby, and she didn’t think that this time would be any different. “It’s Cajun - it means go to sleep.”

“You speak French?”

“Yes.” she said, keeping her voice low. “I grew up in New Orleans, Tony.” she said, keeping her voice low as she checked on Marie. Her eyes were shut, but as she watched they opened once more, crimson irises staring sleepily at her mother. “I speak French better than I do English.”

“You don’t sound like it.” he pointed out. She would have been insulted if it wasn’t completely true - over the years she had repressed her accent to the point that it was non-existent unless she was emotional or she was talking with Belle and Marie. She still used the occasional phrase as well, but other than that she spoke clearly.

She laid her accent on extra thick, dropping the proper way of speaking that she had learned at Peggy’s insistence before starting at Culver. “Dat’s ‘cause most people don’t take kindly t’ y’ when y’ sound like y’ just stepped outta de bayou.” Darcy said, smirking at the shocked look on her friends’ faces. Of course, that wasn't the real reason why she had learned to hide how she talked. But she also knew that Tony would have too many questions if she told the truth, and so she lied.

“That was… weirdly cool.” Tony said, looking mildly impressed. 

But Darcy just shrugged. “I used to know a guy who’s accent was even thicker - half the time he just spoke plain French.” She said, a fond smile on her face. All three of her scientists’ looked surprised at her admission - Darcy wasn’t one to talk about her past, and especially not one to talk about her childhood. That one slip was more information that they had managed to get from her in the almost year-long span that she and Jane had been at the Tower.

They were going to question her more when her phone rang, making Marie stir slightly as her mother shifted slightly, pulling her phone out of her pocket and quickly answering it. "Belle!” She said quietly, mindful of the child in her arms. A warm smile lit up her face as she quickly walked towards the door. “ _Vous ne croirez pas ce que cet connard_ Tony _a fait ajourd’hui…_ ” she slipped out of the lab doors and into the elevator, still chattering away in French as she balanced her daughter on one hip.

“She's never mentioned anyone from her past before." Bruce said quiet, saying what they were all thinking. They were all still turned towards the lab doors, watching them silently.

“She told me about him once, in New Mexico." Jane said softly. "I don't even think she remembers it, she was so drunk."

“Who is he?” Bruce asked, but Jane just shrugged helplessly.

“I don’t know.” she admitted. “But… I think that he might be Marie’s father.”

“Tony, don’t.” Bruce said, stopping the engineer before he could even get a word out. Sometimes it was almost too easy to figure out what the engineer was planning. While Tony’s ideas usually worked out for the best, especially when his friends were involved, Bruce also knew that Darcy wouldn’t be happy with the engineer if he pried into her business too much.

But Tony just smirked. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Brucie.”

But even Jane was catching on - and it usually took a lot for Jane to catch onto Tony’s antics. “I know that look - whatever you’re planning, don’t do it.” she warned.

“Oh come on - don’t you think she would want Mini-shortstack to know her dad?” he argued, almost asking JARVIS to back him up on the idea before quickly thinking better of it. The AI was almost as protective of the little girl as her mother was Or maybe she can’t because something is keeping them apart - either way, I’m dying to know the truth.” Tony said, resisting the urge to rub his hands together like some sort of evil scientist. “Dr. Foster, back me up here.”

But the brunette woman just shrugged, already turning back to her machines and data. “I think that if Darcy wanted that, she would have made it happen by now.” she replied. This was an old argument to her, one that she had had twenty times over with Darcy. She already knew what the answer was. “Just let it go, Tony. There are some things that we aren’t meant to know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do not try any of the combinations of herbs listed unless you are a licensed practitioner. I've spent years doing herbal medicine, and even I wouldn't self-prescribe any of those combinations.
> 
> Please let me know what you think!


	21. Chapter 21

Darcy sat in the kitchen of the common area, buried deep in a medical text. She had had an idea a few days earlier as she watched her scientists work - the only question was if she would be able to pull things off or not. She had never tried anything as intense before, at least not on a human. So while she had healed plenty of animals that had been hit by cars, and fixed many broken bones, she had yet to try anything as big as what she was currently thinking of.

Which was why she needed time to do the research that she needed.

To do that, she had enlisted her daughter’s help. It wasn’t hard - she just reminded her daughter that Christmas was coming soon, and that the Tower had yet to be decorated properly. After that, the girl was on a mission - she went racing to find her Oncle Tony, determined to take him shopping with her. Darcy almost felt bad for what she had done - a determined Marie wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted, and Tony wasn’t known for his self-restraint, especially when it came to his honorary niece. She was almost afraid to see how much stuff the pair of them came home with.

Still, it earned her a few hours of research time. The only person who came up to her was Steve, who asked her a few questions before leaving her alone. Other than that, she was free to lose herself in medical texts, refreshing her knowledge. It didn’t take long to get lost in the books - this had been one of her favorite things when she was younger. As a Healer, a lot of her job had been knowing the plants that she worked with, and the different ways to prepare them that would give her the results that she wanted. But even more important was knowing the human body and how it worked - being able to work with the body instead of against it.

Darcy wasn’t sure just how long she spent sitting there, head bent over her books. But when she zoned back in to her surroundings, it was dark out and the elevator had just opened up. She could already hear her daughter giggling the second that the doors opened, and she laughed too when Tony and Marie came into the common area. She laughed even more when Happy came out after them with armfuls of bags, and Dum-E and U followed after him holding even more bags.

She laughed at the pair, quickly closing her book so that they wouldn’t see what she was working on. “Well aren’t you two happy.” she teased. “Did you have fun?” The pair were giggling so hard that Tony seemed to be having a hard time standing up straight - their noses were burned red from the cold, as were their cheeks. And somehow, Marie had managed to wiggle her way out of wearing a winter jacket again, and was slightly shivering as she clung to Tony’s hair.

“Mama!” Marie cheered, scrambling down from her place on Tony’s shoulders. She ran over to her mother, giggling the whole way and cheering as she jumped into her mother’s arms. She leaned in close to whisper in her mother's ear, and Darcy flinched backwards. “Did you get it?” she whisper-yelled. Marie wasn’t sure exactly what her mother had been trying to accomplish, but hopefully she had given her enough time.

Darcy smiled, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead as she watched Tony direct Happy and the bots around the room. “ _Oui_ , monkey. I think I did.”

The mother-daughter duo stood to the side for another minute or so, just watching everything going on around them and laughing as Tony scolded the bots. “J, post the pics on social media.” he said after a few more minutes of ordering around the bots. There was only so much damage control that he could do for them before he had to just call it a loss, and unfortunately he was about to hit that line.

“Yes sir.”

That got Darcy’s attention quicker than anything else that he possibly could have said. “What?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she glared at him.

But he waved her off. “Don’t worry - the mini’s face is blurred out, no one will be able to tell that it’s her.” he reassured her, looking proud of himself. “There are plenty of pictures of her on my page. People love her. Right kiddo?” even as he was talking to Marie, Tony was pulling out his phone with his free hand, pulling up Instagram.

“Right, Oncle Tony.” Marie cheered happily, just watching the chaos unfold around her. She was giggling to herself as she watched the bots try to ask Tony about where things were supposed to go, following him around like baby ducklings.

“Right.” he nodded, starting to scroll through the pictures of Marie that were on his page. As Darcy looked at them she started to calm down just a bit - Marie’s face was blurred out in the photos so that it was impossible to tell exactly who she was. And despite how upset she was at the whole situation, she couldn’t help but see the smile on Marie’s face as a vast improvement over the nervous child that she had had last year. When they had first moved into Avengers Tower, her daughter barely wanted to be more than a few feet away from her at any given moment. “And you had fun, right?”

“Yup!” Marie said, giggling, and Tony shot Darcy a smug look - one that had the brunette rolling her eyes.

“Just… be careful, please.” she sighed. 

That seemed to get Tony’s attention, and he tried to comfort her. “Look, I’m not gonna let anything happen to her, shortstack.” he said, patting her on the back awkwardly. “I promise. There is contingency after contingency in place to keep her safe, covering so many situations that paranoid doesn’t even cover it. Besides, Mini said that she had told you about it.” he winced almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, realizing that it was the wrong thing to say.

Darcy turned to look at her daughter, arms crossed over her chest and an eyebrow raised. “Oh did she?” she asked, and Marie smiled at her mother - hoping to win her over by being adorable.

“I forgot?” she offered. It only took her a few seconds to realize that her mother wasn’t buying it.

“Marie Etienne, go to your room.” Darcy said, shooting her daughter a look - one that her daughter responded to quickly. Once the five-year-old ran away, she turned to look at her friend. “I’m sorry, Tony.” she said softly.

“It’s okay, kid.” Tony reassured her. “What are you working on?”

She froze almost instinctively, but quickly shook herself out of it. All she had to do was act natural, she could handle that. She thought. “Nothing.” she said quickly, turning and heading for the elevators. “I’ll talk to you later - I’ve got a kid to go yell at.”

8888

It had taken her a few weeks to do all the research that she wanted - Tony had almost caught her a few times, and so had Pepper, but she had managed to keep what she was working on a secret. She could tell that they were worried about her, but she didn’t want them to know what she was trying to do just yet - not until she was at least fairly certain that she could pull this off.

She finally figured out how to approach Tony with what she wanted to tell him - it was just gathering up the courage to do so that she was having trouble with. In the end, she decided to just strong-arm him in his lab. “So remember when you took Marie Christmas shopping?” she asked, leaning up against the door.

“And she strong-armed me into a fifty-foot Christmas tree, yeah.” he replied, distracted. Sparks flew around him as he worked, going in every direction. “Why?”

Darcy winced - she was sure that what she had to say next wasn’t something that he would like. “That might have been an ulterior motive at play.” she admitted, her anxiety spiking when he didn’t even turn to look at her.

Tony froze. “Like what, shortstack.” he asked slowly, not even turning to look at her. He had been the victim of ulterior motives too many times, and now the mere mention of motives was enough to make him nervous.

“I was doing some research.” she said awkwardly. “Looking for a way to help you with your heart problem.”

That got his attention - to the point where he was even willing to put down his welding iron. He had spoken to so many doctors over the years, but none of them had been able to come up with a solution that would get rid of the arc reactor and keep his heart beating. At this point, he had given up hope and was willing to do almost anything - even listen to his assistant for once. “I’m listening.” he said.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that were racing through her. “I think I can heal it - there’s metal shards near your heart, right?” she asked. In an ideal situation, she would have already looked at scans of his chest and come up with a plan of attack. “I might be able to pull it out.”

“Might be?” Tony asked, noticing her phrasing. He was already running through all of the possible risks associated with such a procedure, and didn’t like the numbers that he was coming up with. Still, just the fact that she had taken the time to do the research and actually looked into things spoke volumes to him. It was touching, really. No one had ever taken the time to do something like that for him before.

She shrugged - she wasn’t really sure what to say next. “I’ve never tried it before.”

Tony stopped, thinking about it for a second. But surprisingly, he shook his head. “Normally I’m the first one to sign up for a new procedure.” he admitted, shoving a hand into his pocket. “But I also don’t want you to feel responsible if something was to happen to me.” he hesitated - she could see how much he wanted to go through with whatever was coming.

So she nodded, giving him a small smile and turned away - he had been in the middle of something when she came in and didn’t want to take up any more of his time. As much as Tony was a friend, he was also her boss.

“But I’ll tell you what, shortstack.” he said, studying her carefully. “If you can guarantee that I won’t die on the table, I’ll take you up on your offer.” Darcy turned back towards him, half of a smile on her face as she nodded. That was far more than she had expected, and yet it made perfect sense. She didn’t say anything in response, just nodded - before walking away, her mind already racing with lists of medical journals that she needed to get her hands on.


	22. Chapter 22

For some reason, out of all of the Avengers and assorted heroes that Marie had met in the years that they had lived at Avengers Tower, she had picked a favorite. That itself wasn’t strange. But despite living with real superheroes, the girl didn’t seem to realize that her aunts and uncles were also the superheroes that she loved so much. So while her _Oncle_ Tony and _Oncle_ Thor were her favorite uncles, neither of them were her favorite hero - much to their dismay. That changed every few weeks, bouncing from hero to hero with the ease of a child. 

But she had picked Sam Wilson - a.k.a. The Falcon - as her favorite almost the second that she saw him. The Falcon captivated her - mainly because he could fly. She still remembered the man with the wings that had tried to attack her and her mother years earlier - it was one of her oldest memories. But ‘Mr. the Falcon’ - as she called him - was different, much to her other uncles’ dismay. Darcy thought it was hilarious - they all acted like two-year-olds whose favorite toy had been taken away from them. However, it made life far easier on her, particularly on the rare occasion when she needed someone to babysit.

8888

Remy made his way around the edges of the crowd, keeping an eye on one particular man. Mr. Justin Hammer had been poking his nose where it didn't belong - talking with people like the Friends of Humanity and other anti-mutant organizations. And while he would never be on the same level as Tony Stark in terms of money and influence, he still had enough to make them all a little nervous and to blend in with the richer crowds. So Cyclops and the Professor had asked him to check it out - while they didn't advertise to the rest of the team just how often they asked the Thief to do things for them, the rest of the white hats would have been shocked at the things that they asked him to do.

Remy worked his way through the room, an untouched glass of champagne in hand as he moved. He stopped here and there to chat with people, making sure to occasionally empty his glass in a planter just so he could keep up the illusion of drinking. It wouldn’t do any good to be caught out as the only sober person in the room. He did everything as he usually did - memorizing the floor plan of things, getting a good look at the security systems, and did a quick recon of entrances and exits. Remy smirked. All he needed at this point was another five minutes to figure out the guards’ rotation, and then a quick meeting with Mr. Hammer himself so he could slip the tracking device that the Beast had come up with onto the man. After that he could leave - find himself a bar to camp out at for a few hours until it was late enough for him to break back into the building and get all of the information that he needed.

He froze when he heard a familiar voice talking, then shook it off. It sounded like his Darcy, except that the voice was missing all of the warmth of home in it. It was flat, as bland of an accent as possible. But he could have sworn it was her - even with the missing accent, he had heard her voice for a majority of his life. He knew it as well as he knew his own - the only difference was that her voice haunted his dreams.

8888

On the other side of the room, Tony Stark was entering to represent Stark Industries, his plus one at his side. The pair were quickly swarmed by people, all of them wanting their fifteen seconds with the billionaire.

"Tony, why am I here?" Darcy asked, looking at her boss. He had come into the labs earlier that morning, dragging her away to buy a dress and get her hair done. Now she was dressed to the nines, her hair curled and braided and lips slicked with the same red lipstick that Peggy had given her so long ago. Her dress was blue - a habit that had still stuck with her throughout all the years - and elegantly cut, her skirts sweeping the floor. He was a bit surprised by how well she took to it all, making her way through the room of powerful businessmen like they were nothing.

"Because Pep's sick, and I needed someone to come with me and make sure I don't cause too much damage." He said, plucking two flutes of champagne off of a passing tray. He handed one to her and downed the other, replacing it in a moment with a full one. "Plus I needed someone to make fun of Hammer with."

She took the glass, taking a small sip and trying not to wince at the taste. “So why not Natasha or someone who actually fits in at this sort of thing?” she put the glass down on a passing waiter’s tray, making a mental note to stop by the open bar at some point and get something else. Otherwise, this was going to be a long night.

“Because I figured I'd have more fun with you than with Natashalie.” the engineer admitted, putting one hand at the small of her back as he guided her around a group of people. “Plus you work too hard. Take a night off, shortstack. Enjoy yourself. The rest of the team are watching the kid.” that was a detail that he was particularly proud of. It was hard to find a babysitter for Marie, mainly because of how protective the team was of her. So far they had managed to scare off every babysitter that Darcy had found - either through pure intimidation, or the sheer amount of NDAs that Pepper had them sign. It had gotten to the point where now the Avengers took it in turns to babysit Marie because Darcy refused to find anymore babysitters for them to scare away.

Still, she couldn't help but laugh at Tony’s instructions. “Right.” she muttered under her breath. “Because putting Clint Barton and Steve Rogers in charge of my five-year-old should make me relax." She said dryly.

That caught Tony’s attention - not that she was surprised. The engineer could talk about his honorary niece for hours if he was able - normally it was getting him to stop that was the issue. “Speaking of the tree frog, she's gotta start school soon.” he pointed out, looking excited at the very thought. “Where were you thinking - she can get in wherever you want, between her smarts and a donation -”

Darcy didn't even miss a beat, barely even breaking stride as she turned to look at the billionaire. "Tony, what are you talking about?" She asked, sounding completely exasperated. Pepper had warned her that Tony had been fixated on the idea, but she hadn’t been planning on having to deal with it anytime soon - she had thought that she would have more time.

“Don't try and talk me out of it, I've already set up the college fund -”

Darcy cut him off, feeling slightly ill. “She can wait another year, can't she?”

“What's the problem?” Tony asked, studying her curiously. Marie was more than excited at the idea of school - as much as she loved her mother and aunts and uncles, she also liked the idea of kids her own age to play with. And between Jane, Tony, and Bruce, she was already several grades ahead of where she should be in terms of knowledge. Between the three of them and Marie’s own excitement for learning, the only subject that she even had a chance of being bad at was history. “She's excited to go, it can't be that -”

“I'm not ready!” Darcy hissed, keeping her voice low in an effort to keep from drawing any extra attention. They had mainly managed to keep the truth of the child in Avengers Tower a secret from the outside world - they didn’t need to ruin that now. “I'm… I'm not ready for her to go anywhere. It's just been us for five years, Tony.” her voice got even quieter as she admitted her fears, to the point where Tony had to strain to hear what she was saying. “We have you guys now, but what about if something happens to her?”

That made Tony relax and tense in equal amounts. A worried mother was fine - an easy problem to fix, as long as it was someone else fixing it. He wasn’t known for his emotional skills, after all - didn’t really have any to be known for. But currently, he was the only one there, so Tony would have to do the comforting this time. “She'll be fine, Darcy.” he said awkwardly, trying to reassure the woman. “But what if we do private tutors for a little bit? Just until you're more comfortable with the idea of it.”

That had her relaxing, at least enough that she wasn’t tense enough to make people nervous. “That… that sounds great, actually.” she said slowly, stealing the glass of scotch that the engineer had been drinking and quickly downing it. Tony faked outrage, but his glass was replaced so quickly that it barely even looked like she had taken it.

“Keep that up and all of the tabloids will think that Pep finally came to her senses by morning.” the engineer joked, earning himself a swat on the arm from the brunette. There were some things that only Tony thought were funny, no matter how often he joked about them.

"You're not funny, Tony."

"Great." He said, relieved - he had successfully calmer Darcy down, now they could get back to topics he was more comfortable with. "Now about her birthday…"

“No, Tony.”

8888

The first time that trouble came after them that the Avengers weren't sure that they could handle, Tony told the civilians to leave the Tower for their safety. It was one of the most iconic buildings in the city, and as such tended to get destroyed on a fairly regular basis. All SI employees had been given the next two weeks off of work with pay, Pepper was on a business trip in Beijing, so she was safe anyway. Both Jane and Darcy refused to leave the Tower - Darcy because she could help with any injuries and as such, needed to be there, and Jane because she was too stubborn to leave. 

“Darcy…” Steve sighed, barely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. They had been having this debate for days at this point, endless rounds going back and forth between them. Everyone else had quickly given up on fighting it out with the stubborn brunette, but Steve was determined to make her see sense.

“I’m not leaving, Steve.” she replied - she had lost count of how many times she had said that exact phrase in the past few days. “You’ve been yelling at me for days now, everyone else has figured it out already. Catch up, please.”

“At least get Marie out of here.” he pleaded, then winced as she immediately turned on him.

That got her attention, and quickly. “Yes, Steve - I was going to leave my daughter in the path of danger.” she snapped, rolling her eyes at him. There wasn’t a chance in hell that she was going to let her daughter stay in harm’s way.

Steve ignored what she said almost instinctively - this wasn't the time to get into a fight with the fiery-tempered brunette, no matter how much she goaded him. "Where's she going?" He asked, arms crossed over his chest as he stared her down. "Does she have grandparents she can stay with, any family…"

But Darcy was already shaking her head before he could even finish the question. "The only grandmother she has is Peg, and she’s busy." She said, sounding as upset as he had ever heard her. She was pulling out her phone as she spoke, searching through her contacts for one number in particular. "The others… its not good for her to go there. I’m calling Belle, she’ll be here soon." With that said, she put the phone to her ear, cradling it between her ear and her shoulder as she waited for the blonde to answer her phone.

“Don’t you have any family she can stay with?” Steve asked, still pressing on. There were so many variables that were involved in something like this, but he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t be able to concentrate until he knew that the people he cared about were safe.

“Belle is family.” she said shortly. “One of my best friends - my only one, other than Janie.”

Marie walked over to them, Dum-E trailing along behind her. She wasn’t too concerned about getting out of the Tower - while she wasn’t too sure about what was going on, she also knew that her mama also had a plan for everything. “Mama, when's _Tante_ getting here?”

"Soon, monkey." Darcy said, pulling her daughter just a little bit closer. She bent down, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead and smoothing her hair back. "Belle will be here soon."

8888

The woman walked into the room, and both of the SHIELD agents tensed immediately. It was enough for the Captain to notice, and he tensed up alongside them, watching the woman carefully. She was petite and blonde, and built like a gymnast. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and blue eyes scanned every inch of the room. She carried herself with the confidence of a queen, and her face lit up with a smile when Marie went barreling at her. 

“ _Tante_!" Marie screeched, nearly running the woman over in her excitement. The woman relaxed slightly as soon as her arms were around the little girl, and she picked her up in a tight hug.

"Dere's m' _fillule_!" Belladonna said, a warm smile on her face as she held onto the little girl. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“Missed you too, _tante_.” Marie pulled back slightly, looking up at her aunt excitedly. She started chattering away in rapid-fire French, her aunt nodding along to everything the little girl said with an indulgent smile on her face. Belle let her niece

" _Merci_ for takin' her, Belle.” Darcy said, handing Marie's bag over to her friend. The pair of them talked for a minute in rapid-fire Cajun Franch - the dialect was different enough from the original French that even Natasha couldn’t keep up with what they were saying. Once they were finished, the blonde nodded, pressing a kiss to Darcy’s cheek before she turned and walked away. Marie was still babbling away to her aunt in Cajun French as she walked away, and Darcy refused to look away until they were both safely in the elevator.

“You were an Assassin, weren't you?” Clint asked as soon as he was sure that the other woman was gone. He didn’t want to ask her while the other woman was still there - even he wouldn’t ask about the Assassin’s Guild in front of its queen. But even he didn’t believe that she would just admit it right away. He expected her to deny it for a moment before giving in. What he didn't see coming was the way she jerked back almost violently, her face contorting in disgust.

"You can't actually believe I was an Assassin." She laughed. She was almost relieved that that was the question that he had gone with. As much as she kept things secret for the safety of her friends and her own past, she hated having to actually lie to them. Still, it was almost funny that they assumed that she was a part of the wrong Guild. "I'm a healer, not a killer."

“You know who that was, don't you?” Clint asked, bewildered. “Belladonna Bourdeaux, the head of the Assassin's Guild.” Natasha nodded next to him, but Steve just looked confused. He wasn’t sure what was going on, and he wasn’t really sure that he wanted to know.

There was a part of her that wanted to say 'of course I know who that is’. As much as she had hated Belladonna when they were teenagers, she had still respected the other woman and her abilities - and had made sure that she always carried around antidotes to the various poisons that Belladonna knew. But while she might have left the Guild, she had grown up under Guild law, and in this case it still applied. And the first law was to never talk about the Guilds to outsiders, no matter how much they already knew - or thought they knew.

“Really, Hawkass?” She asked, smirking at him as she shook her head. “Where do you come up with these stories? I haven't heard that one since I left New Orleans."

“So she's not the head of the Assassin's Guild?” Clint asked, looking at his friend with barely hidden skepticism. The woman was at the top of every list that SHIELD had - they could never pin anything to her, but there was enough circumstantial evidence to make everyone wary of the gorgeous blonde.

“Nope.” She lied. “Her name's Belle Fontaine - we've been friends for years.” She pulled one of Belle's fake names off of the top of her head, knowing that it would stand up against any scrutiny the Avengers put it through. "The Guilds aren't real, Clint." She said, her accent just the slightest bit thicker. "Just a story told to little children."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review, let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

Remy never had any issues finding someone to warm his bed. Women had always flocked to him, and his charm power made it even easier than it would have been otherwise. It gave him a certain reputation around the Mansion - even if it was one that he didn’t really deserve. He rarely slept with them. More often than not, his eyes scared them off before he could say anything more than hello. If they made it past that, then they had fun together.

But every time he tried to get closer to them, closer than a one-night stand, all he could think about was dark curls and glowing eyes, and a smile as bright as the Mardi Gras lights.

The only one that he actually tried with was Rogue, and he didn't need Logan to point out how futile that was. She had dark hair streaked through with blonde, and pale skin that seemed at odds with the sunny southern weather she had grown up in. She swore like a sailor when she was mad, and her smile could make a man's heart melt. 

But not his.

Because her eyes were green and not blue; because she tore her way through a room like a hurricane when she didn't get her way instead of fighting for what she wanted. Because she didn't care for anyone but herself, not really. Because she didn't know his favorite food, or the scars on his body like the back of her hand. Because she wasn't the taste of cherry wine and the moment after thunder hits but before the rain begins. Because she was Anna-Marie, the Rogue who could kill with a touch; instead of an Angel who could heal with a single caress. They fought about every topic, to the point where their friends refused to be around the pair of them at the same time. It was toxic and he knew it.

If he tried hard enough, he could pretend that he loved her. That he was coming to care for her. If he tried hard enough, he could pretend that she was his _ange_ , his _ame_ , his _raison de'etre_. 

But it would never be the same.

8888

Darcy made her way back into Avengers Tower, ignoring the looks that were being shot in her direction as she made her way into the priority elevator. She had her shoes in one hand and already had her hair halfway out of the braided updo that she had had it in, and the only thing that she currently wanted was to curl up with her daughter and a movie - most likely Tangled, since that was Marie’s current obsession. Ever since she had heard Tony’s new nickname for Darcy, she had become extra obsessed with the movie.

Of course, the last thing that she currently wanted was to run into anyone that she knew. She was feeling more than a little humiliated after the date that she had gone on, and wasn't ready for any of the million questions that she knew her friends would have. So when there were still five floors left till she got to the floor that she and Marie shared with Jane and Thor, JARVIS stopped the elevator, opening the doors for someone else to get onboard. She winced before she even had a chance to see who it was - it really didn’t matter, she didn’t want to deal with anyone right now.

Natasha stepped into the elevator, looking her over curiously. Darcy almost blushed - it wasn’t hard to tell exactly what had happened. She raised an eyebrow, eyeing her friend carefully. “Late night?” she asked cautiously, trying to gauge her friend’s mood.

“I had a date.”

Natasha didn’t seem surprised - but then, she never did. “I'm guessing it didn't go well.” she said softly, ignoring the snort of laughter that her obvious statement earned her.

“Wow, you must really be a master spy.” she replied bitterly, wincing as soon as the words came out of her mouth. There were things that she didn’t ever want to do - and taking out her anger at the world on her friends was at the top of her list. “Sorry.” Darcy said sheepishly, shooting the redhead an apologetic look.

Natasha waved it off, not even phased. “What happened?” she asked, studying the brunette carefully.

“He didn't say anything about how I looked, talked about himself the entire time - no actually, that's not true.” she corrected, the words practically spilling out of her with no control whatsoever. “He asked about the Avengers. Oh, and when I mentioned Marie? He freaked out.” that last bit hadn’t surprised her much - she was almost expecting it at this point. It was everything else that hurt. At this point, almost every person that asked her on a date only wanted to talk to her about the team and what they were like. It was infuriating.

“Ah.”

“Yeah. It was terrible.” she sighed. The door opened the second that she was finished, as if on cue. 

“Leave it to me, _guiresse_.” the redhead said softly, a smile on her face. “He'll regret treating you like that.”

“Natasha, no - what did you just call me?” she was more than a little concerned - out of everyone in the Tower, Natasha was the only one who had the ability to do any real damage as far as the Guilds were concerned. And no one outside of them had ever called her _guiresse_ \- no one outside of the Thieves even knew that that was her technical title. Which meant that somehow, Natasha Romanov had gotten information on the Thieves’ Guild.

Natasha just smiled - she knew. “I think you know. Have a good night, Darcy.” with her piece said, Natasha pushed her out of the elevator, leaving Darcy on the right floor as the elevator doors closed behind her. In the end, she just shook her head, banishing worries about that to the back of her mind.

She had tried dating before, several times over, but they all ended the same way. With her going home all alone at the end of the night, fed up with humanity and ready to cuddle with her daughter.

It was almost funny, in a way. Even after all this time, she still half-expected Remy to come walking through the door. She was still mad with him for leaving. But at the same time, she missed him - to the point where it almost felt like a piece of her was missing. She missed coming home to new stolen artwork and jewelry and gifts waiting for her, missed waking up surrounded by the scent of his shampoo. She missed his ridiculously possessive nature and the protective streak that was a mile wide. She missed his mother hen behavior when he was worried, and the way he always seemed to know what she was thinking. But mostly, she missed having her best friend around. Jane was amazing - the best completely driven scientist a girl could have - but she wasn’t the same. She wasn’t the boy with the devil eyes that Darcy had grown up with, who had stolen her heart just as easily as he stole anything else.

She made her way into the apartment that she shared with her daughter, relieved that Marie was already tucked into bed. Jane and Thor had watched her until it was her bedtime, and then JARVIS had taken over on babysitting duty after that. So she threw her purse on the kitchen table and her shoes in a corner, already moving towards the kitchen and the bottle of red wine that was stored on top of the fridge. It only took her a moment to get a glass poured and for her to get settled in on the couch. She had wanted to cuddle her daughter, but would settle for mindless tv watching - anything to take her mind off of her failed date.

Still, she had barely gotten five minutes into Doctor Who when she was interrupted. “Mama?”

She paused the show quickly - Marie was still just a little too young to be exposed to the monsters of Who. "Hey, _bebe_. What are y’ doin’ up?” Darcy asked, pinning her daughter into place with a look. She could remember her mother doing the same thing when she was Marie’s age, and that brought a whole other wave of guilt and nostalgia that she tried to push back down.

Marie shrugged, one hand reaching up to rub at her eye while the other one clung tightly to a stuffed bear that Peggy had gotten her years earlier. “Couldn’t sleep.” she said quietly, her words slurring slightly with how tired she was.

“Come here, monkey. Come cuddle y’r mama.” she said, pushing the blanket aside and opening up her arms. Marie climbed into her lap, snuggling into place, and Darcy grinned. As much as she liked to pretend to be grown-up, her recently six-year-old daughter was still a Mama's girl at heart. It only took a moment to get the little hellspawn settled, curled up against her like a miniature heater. She pressed a kiss to her daughter’s hair as she scrolled through channels, looking for something child-appropriate and boring enough that it would hopefully put them both to sleep.

"Mama, why don't you ever talk about m’ Daddy?". 

Darcy paused. “Where did that question come from?” She asked, hitting the power button on the remote. This was a conversation that she was going to need her full attention for. Despite everything, she couldn’t help but shoot a longing look at the bottle of wine that was still sitting on her kitchen counter. This was one of the times that it would have come in handy, she mused.

“Dey were talkin’ about Father's day at school today.” She said, her words mumbled slightly as she kept her face pressed against her mother's neck. “But I don't have a Daddy. _Pourquoi_?” 

Darcy took a deep breath. She had always meant to tell her daughter about Remy, she just didn't expect to be doing it this soon. “Y'r Papa had t’ leave before you were born, _petite_.” Darcy said softly. She tried to figure out how to tell her daughter the truth of what had happened without making the little girl hate her father. “There were people after us, and y'r Papa left to keep us safe.”

“What was he like?” Marie asked, her eyes full of innocent curiosity. She took a moment to study her daughter - her red eyes and hair so much like her father’s. There were so many answers that Darcy could have given in that moment that it took her a moment to think of what to say. In the end, she decided on the truth.

“Your Papa was a Prince, and a Thief.” Darcy began, but Marie cut her off.

“Like you, Mama?”

“Just like me.” She nodded. "Only better." Her voice thickened slightly as she continued, her emotions forming a lump in her throat. “Y'r Daddy was a t'ief, and a liar, and a cheat. He was cocky, and arrogant, and de worst singer on de planet - which would have been fine, only he thought he had a lovely voice and would try and serenade me.” Darcy looked down at her daughter, seeing the sorrow in her red eyes at the thought of her father being a bad person. “An’ I'm telling you dis so that y’ know de truth, monkey. ‘Cause y'r Daddy was also kind, and warm, and had a self-sacrificing streak de size of de Seine. He… he was m’white knight, _mon diable blanc_. He was probably de best man dat I've ever met.”

“Better dan _Oncle_ Tony?” Marie asked, eyes wide at the thought. According to Marie, her Uncle was the best person ever except for her Mama and _Tante_ Bella. He was tied with Jane, a fact that irritated both of them to no end.

But her mother just nodded, a small smile on her face as she held onto her daughter just a little bit tighter. “Better than _Oncle_ Tony.”

“Wow.” Marie whispered, her eyes lighting up. “Tell me more about m’daddy, mama?”

Darcy pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead, pulling her in just a little bit closer as they curled up together on the couch. “Of course, monkey.” She thought about it for a moment, trying to come up with a story that both painted Remy in a good light and was alright for her six-year-old to hear. “Let me tell y’ about de time that y’r daddy saved all of our families from de evil witch queen Candra.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer and closer, folks!


End file.
